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Changing a baby’s diaper is usually one of the most ordinary parts of parenting. Messy, sometimes exhausting, but hardly something anyone would expect to become controversial.
Until one suggestion changed that.
Sexuality educator Deanne Carson encouraged parents to ask their babies for consent before changing their diapers.
Her advice was simple: parents could say, “I’m going to change your diaper now, is that OK?” Of course, a newborn cannot answer with words. But Carson suggested pausing, making eye contact, and paying attention to the baby’s body language.
The internet reacted quickly — and not always kindly.
Many people mocked the idea, believing Carson was literally suggesting that babies should give permission before their diapers could be changed.
But that wasn’t her point.
Carson later explained that the goal is to begin teaching children, from the earliest stages of life, that their bodies matter and that their reactions deserve attention.
She compared it to reading to a baby. A newborn cannot read the words back, but those early experiences help build the foundations of literacy.
In the same way, Carson believes that talking about consent from infancy can help children develop an understanding of boundaries, empathy and respect.
It may sound like a tiny moment in a parent’s day.
But according to Carson, those tiny moments could help shape how a child understands relationships for years to come.
