I know what you mean about the visiting with neighbors--this past summer we used to do that a lot. We'd set up the baby pool in the side of our house, and call the neighbors or shout to them across the yards to bring their kid over. We all would sit in camp chairs and enjoy chilled beverages, and throw some burgers or something else on the grill when the kids were done playing in the water. It was a great time--I love summer for those spontaneous afternoons/evenings when you can let the kids run crazy in the yard and visit with neighbors.

I too am not a blackberry scheduling "playdate" kind of mom...very on-the-fly with our get-togethers. :)

I do need to get a sign of some sort...

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my daughter is only 2 and i do have fears about this. i try really hard not to let the fear consume me though. i don't want her to grow up with a mother so worried that she isn't able to grow. i remind myself that my job is to help her meet her fullest potential as a self-sufficient, compassionate, capable adult. and i truly feel that being over protective is counteractive to those goals.

for strangers specifically. she has a natural fear of strangers right now. i just don't push her to say hi or speak to them even if societal conventions of "politeness" say i should. but really my biggest fear isn't strangers, its the people she already knows (the acquaintances too), that could use that "relationship" or familiarity as leverage against her.

again, my daughter is only 2 so we don't exactly have conversations about the things that can and do happen. but i have tried to instill in her that her body is her body. i call everything by its proper name, i explain that they are her body parts. the toddler she is totally grabs a hold of the concept of "mine."

the other thing i do is work hard to let her know she doesn't have to hug or kiss or cuddle anyone including mommy or daddy. this one is hard because when i leave for class in the morning i do want a hug and kiss and there's a part of me that wants to "take" one despite her telling me, "no." but i have been pretty good about stepping back and reminding myself that i have a purpose for allowing her room to refuse ANYONE. i want her to know that just because someone is an adult or a family member or a "friend" of the family doesn't mean that she has to let them touch her in any manner.

i teach her no. i know this sounds silly. what 2 year old doesn't know the word no? but what i mean is i teach her to say no to adults and children who don't respect her space and to find me if they won't stop. if i am tickling her and she shrieks at me to stop or says, "no," even if she is laughing. i stop. and i tell her, "you told mommy to stop, so i will stop." if a family member is tickling her and she tells them to stop, i make them stop and i tell them, "she asked you to stop. please stop." i try to be nice about it because they certainly don't mean it in a bad way. but i want my daughter to know that her "no" does have power. especially since there are so many "no's" i cannot always respect like the "no" at bedtime and the "no" at having her diaper changed.

i am sure as she gets older i will have to think about other techniques and ways to inform her but right now, i feel this simple approach instills in her a sense that she has certain rights to her body and space and serves as a foundation for the other lessons that will have to come.

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