There have been a number of interesting discussions on privacy and consent among young parents in recent years. Perhaps this is not a new argument, but it seems to have taken on a new level.
We saw evidence of this on a popular mothering website, Mumsnet. A young mother came on to say that she was upset with her mother-in-law because she had changed her granddaughter’s diaper without consent.
The mother is now saying that she doesn’t want anyone except herself and her partner to change the diapers unless it is an emergency, such as if the mother-in-law is babysitting. This sparked a debate on the website that is still going.
Some people were proud of the young mother for standing up for what she believed in. Many people do agree that there is some consent that is necessary in changing a diaper. One mother even went viral on TikTok after saying that she does not change her own baby’s diaper without asking permission first.
On the other hand, other people were critical of her decision. They said that it probably stemmed from pre-existing problems with the mother-in-law and was not necessarily directly related to this particular issue.
Understandably, it may have been upsetting because the baby did cry when the mother-in-law changed the diaper and she did not get permission from the daughter-in-law before doing so. At the same time, however, many people were arguing that she should not exclude the mother-in-law while still allowing nursery staff and others to change the diapers regularly.
Regardless of the side you happen to be on, this is a discussion that will likely continue into the future. Let your own voice be heard, but expect the argument to roll on for quite some time.