How to Respect Children's Bodily Autonomy in a Digital Age - Resilience & Relationships (R&R) - Stephanie Olson, Rebecca Saunders, and Dylan YeomansHow to Respect Children's Bodily Autonomy in a Digital Age - Resilience & Relationships (R&R) - Stephanie Olson, Rebecca Saunders, and Dylan Yeomans
Resilience in Life and Leadership
Conversation centred on children’s bodily autonomy, online privacy, and family expectations around affection, using real-life stories and social media examples. The hosts share practical ways parents and relatives might respect kids’ boundaries while still celebrating their milestones.
37:16•30 Apr 2026
Respecting Kids’ Bodies and Privacy in a Digital Age
Episode Overview
- Avoid posting children’s names, schools and other identifying details publicly, as they can be used to build trust and access to a child.
- Consider private photo-sharing options with controlled access so loved ones can see milestones without exposing children online.
- Teach children from a very young age that they can say no to touch, hugs or photos, and back them up when they do.
- Set clear boundaries with relatives about forced affection and explain that a child’s comfort matters more than adult expectations.
- Accept that some people may see these boundaries as rude, but remember that protecting children’s safety and autonomy comes first.
“If you're old enough to say the word no, you're old enough to learn how to use it.”
How do people cope with the challenges of keeping kids safe both online and offline? This conversation brings that question right into the heart of family life. Host Stephanie Olson sits down with co-hosts Rebecca Saunders and Dylan Yeomans to chat about children’s bodily autonomy in a digital age, with their usual mix of humour, real-life stories, and straight talk.
They start by reacting to a viral TikTok warning parents: "Stop publicly posting these photos." From there, they unpack how much identifying information those cute first-day-of-school boards can reveal – names, schools, favourite colours, even teachers’ names – and how that can be misused by someone intent on building trust with a child.
Rebecca shares her own journey from proud new mum posting everything online to a more cautious parent who later thought, "I can't believe I ever put that out there." She explains how her family now uses a private photo-sharing app so grandparents can still gush over milestones without the risks of public social media. The episode then shifts into family culture and consent.
A TikTok skit about the pushy aunt who demands hugs becomes a springboard for talking about forced affection and kids’ right to say no. Rebecca sums up her approach simply: "If you're old enough to say the word no, you're old enough to learn how to use it." Stephanie backs this up with clear guidance for both children and adults, stressing that a child’s boundary isn’t optional and that feeling "rude" is less important than feeling safe.
Parents, carers, and even well-meaning grandparents will find plenty here to chew on: practical language to use, ideas for safer sharing, and reassurance that it’s okay to be the "odd one out" when you’re protecting kids. It might leave you asking: what boundaries around kids’ images and affection do you want to put in place today?
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