A
I don’t remember being ordered to hug people when I was a child, but I remember being made to hold hands. It’s not a big deal. And of course it’s unavoidable for safety, but I remember disliking it. In the past, hugs were also something you couldn’t refuse. Again, it didn’t seem like a big deal at the time. There were circumstances(境况) in which it was polite to offer a hug or accept one. If you didn’t enjoy this, it was too bad.
However, this isn’t the case now.These days there’s something called bodily autonomy(身体自治权), which I know about thanks to a video. Now, I’ve learned that hugs are the subject of a small but fierce debate about parenting.
Kids hug each other. And sometimes, they knock each other down. Several years ago, a friend’s two-year-old was sent home from a day care center with a note pointing out that he had hugged a friend and that the friend felt “uncomfortable”. My friend and I laughed, thinking the other mother was overreacting. That’s what I used to think.
There was a kid who hugged my kid and she didn’t like it. This happened several times. He asked to give her a kiss and she rudely said no. A complaint came in from the kid’s parent that her rudeness had hurt his feelings. And I made it clear that my daughter wasn’t put on this Earth to comfort her needy son. She was protecting her son’s feelings and I was protecting my daughter’s. I learned that this wasn’t an overreaction.
But it struck home more deeply than I might have expected. I showed my daughter the video about bodily autonomy(身体自治权). It was a cartoon movie showing kids how to politely decline unwanted physical contact. A lot of parenting culture is fussy(大惊小怪的), but this felt different: a new way of socializing ---- particularly girl children ---- to expand the range of what they can politely refuse. I was satisfied with how great it felt.
21. What did the author use to think of children’s being given hugs?
A. Reasonable.B.Abnormal.C.Unnecessary.D. Guilty
22. What will the author now consider first when it comes to kids’ hugging?
A.Her role in parenting.B.Her own child’s feelings.
C.Parents’ social responsibility.D.Friendships between children.
23.What can children mainly learn from the video according to the author?
A.One should treat others fairly.B.Parenting culture is updated.
C.One has the right to say no.D.Physical contact is harmful.
