Close up of a grandfather playing with his grandkids (iStock)
High five, grandpa!
The Girl Scouts of the USA has issued an odd warning to parents for the upcoming holidays, cautioning them to not force their daughters to give relatives hugs or kisses, and to offer instead the alternative of less personal kinds of touching.
While a directive to withhold affection from one's family may sound like an overreach, the Girl Scouts explained in a public service announcement on their official site that "telling your child that she owes someone a hug either just because she hasn’t seen this person in a while or because they gave her a gift can set the stage for her questioning whether she 'owes' another person any type of physical affection when they’ve bought her dinner or done something else seemingly nice for her later in life."
"[W]e are proud to provide girls’ parents and caregivers with age-appropriate guidance to use when discussing this sensitive matter"
The organization, which aims to build courage, confidence and character in young girls, further elaborated on how parents can help daughters navigate social situations this holiday season, recommending alternatives to kissing and hugging that include a "high-five" or a "thank you with a smile."
GSUSA told Fox News in an e-mailed statement that the initiative comes in the wake of the raft of sexual harassment claims leveled against entertainers, politicians, and others in the public eye.
"Girl Scouts of the USA offers advice to girls’ parents and families (including those of current Girl Scouts) on how to talk to their daughters about issues in the larger world that they hear about or that directly affect them. Given our expertise in healthy relationship development for girls, and in light of recent news stories about sexual harassment, we are proud to provide girls’ parents and caregivers with age-appropriate guidance to use when discussing this sensitive matter and other challenging topics, should they wish to do so. Obviously, our advice will not apply in all situations, and we recognize that parents and caregivers are in the best position to judge which conversations they should have with their girls."
