"Every family gathering began the same way when I was a kid. I would open my grandparents' front door, and the smell of tamales, turkey, rice, and the best of our Mexican-American world would welcome me at the doorstep. I loved the laughs, food, and family, but before I could settle in, I had to brace myself for the greeting ritual."
"In my culture, children are expected to greet everyone in the room with a hug and a kiss. My daughter didn't like to and often screamed when relatives tried to hug and kiss her. I teach my kid that she has choices and can say no whenever she feels uncomfortable. My young daughter wasn't yet 1 years old the first time she shook her head and stretched her hands out to push away a hug from relatives."
A mother resists a cultural expectation that children must hug and kiss everyone at family gatherings. Childhood memories include being guided to greet adults with hugs and kisses, feeling awkward and pressured, and noticing adults prioritized the ritual over personal comfort. The mother's daughter often screamed and pushed away hugs, even before age one, and relatives initially laughed it off. The mother intentionally teaches the child that she has choices and permission to say no when uncomfortable. The pandemic reduced in-person contact and allowed virtual family connection, reinforcing the mother’s approach to boundaries and consent.
Read at Business Insider
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