Grandparents have been an important part of the lives of their grandchildren for as long as we remember. They teach the little ones responsibility and shower them with endless love and a bunch of gifts. They tell them stories and take care of them whenever the parents are not around.

But according to a parenting expert named Deborah Gilboa, the elderly must ask the grandchildren for consent whenever they want to hug them and kiss them. 

According to her, if children get kissed or hugged without being asked if they wanted that or not, they will feel like they have no control of their bodies.

Speaking to TODAY, she says how most kids are taught not to let be touched in any way unless they are fine with that, and their grandmas and grandpas kissing them whenever they please sends confusing messages. 

“It’s super confusing,” Gilboa insisted on TODAY, claiming that telling kids that their bodies are their own and then allowing older relatives to kiss them without asking permission sends “mixed messages.”

But as it turns out, Deborah isn’t the only person who believes this. Another expert, Jane Evans from Australia, shared a similar idea on This Morning. She says that if grandparents and parents don’t ask the kids for permission before they hug them or kiss them, they would assume it’s okay for other people to do it too. 

Most of the people who came across the ideas of Gilboa and Evans agreed how what they say is absolute nonsense. One Twitter user said how “contact is a huge part of forming relationship” and asking for consent to hug your own child or grandchild is the stupidest idea.  

Other people, however, believe that these experts’ thinking is the right one because that way children learn that their consent is important and they get to decide whether to be hugged or not. 

Do you agree with Gilbert and Evan’s idea? Please share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.