[VIDEO] How to train your kids to deal with ‘uncomfortable’ situations?

KUALA LUMPUR – More and more national athletes have come forward to speak up about their painful experience of being sexually assaulted, harassed, and abused by team coaches since a very young age.

These types of misconduct do not discriminate based on gender as they can happen to young boys and girls, at the age where many parents think it would be best to let their children choose their favourite sport and send them off to a training centre.

Speaking with The Vibes, mother of two Stephanie Caunter agrees that sports is great for character development as well as building physical and mental strength.

“I wanted my 7-year-old daughter to pick up a sport. For me, rhythmic gymnastics seems like a pretty good discipline. They got flexibility. So, when she started training she seems to enjoy it and just kept going,” Stephanie said.

However, one particular concern that some parents have is not knowing what happens behind closed doors after they’ve dropped their children off at the training centre.  

“The parents don’t go in. So, I don’t know what goes on behind the doors,” said Norjihan Mohd Nasir, who is mother to an 8-year-old daughter.

“It’s the trust that I have in the coaches that puts me a bit at ease.

“But of course, I fear for her safety because gymnastics is a rough sport. She might get hurt while she does the tricks and I’m not there to assist her.”

Stephanie and Norjihan agreed on the same sentiment, that every parent should educate their child to be comfortable with sharing every single detail that happens at the training centre as well as at school.

“Since they’re quite young, we do talk to them about it just in general like ‘be careful, don’t let people touch in places that you don’t feel comfortable. If anything ever happens come and tell us immediately,” said Stephanie.

“You don’t really think so much about it when you’re going to drop your kids off at the centre and enrol them.

“You’re putting your kids in the hands of these coaches and they trust the coaches and that’s when things can start happening. It’s a serious issue and I think we need a lot more education, awareness, and steps (to be) taken.”

Norjihan, meanwhile, would make it a point to remind her daughter to talk about what happened at school every day, even on subjects that would make her uncomfortable.

“In primary (school) she’s more exposed to people from different backgrounds, a wider group of people.

“So, we do talk a lot about private parts and what’s okay and what’s not okay. This is not limited to physical contact. If there are words spoken by others that make her uncomfortable, then she must tell me,” Norjihan added.

“She’s a very curious child. So, I make it a point to make sure that she’s comfortable talking to me about it.

“I feel that’s such a shame because a lot of accidents happen because it’s not being spoken about.”

The Vibes took the opportunity to ask their children if they are aware of what to do if a person comes up to them and does something they do not like.

“Stop, or else I will tell my mom,” said Stephanie’s 7-year-old daughter.

“If it happens in school, I will tell my teacher.”

Meanwhile, Norjihan’s 8-year-old daughter answered, “I will run away. I will run and if I see a phone or a cell phone I will call my parents.” – The Vibes, January 21, 2022