14/09/2026
WEIRD. 👀🚨
i think we need to teach kids this word more.
because kids understand the energy of WEIRD wayyyyy before they understand words like inappropriate, grooming, or predator.
“he was being weird.”
“she told me not to tell you. it felt weird.”
“i don’t know why… i just don’t want to go over there anymore.”
“something about them makes me feel weird.”
LISTEN. 👂🏼
your child does not need enough evidence to prove someone is unsafe before they’re allowed to listen to their body.
they don’t need to correctly identify a predator.
they don’t need to understand someone’s intentions.
they don’t even need to be able to explain WHY.
weird is enough information to come tell me. 🚨
because the reality is…
unsafe people exist everywhere.
they can be strangers.
they can be teachers.
coaches.
family members.
friends.
other children.
people everybody LOVES.
people everybody trusts.
people with wonderful reputations.
and as much as i would LOVE to personally bubble wrap my children and inspect every single human who ever enters their orbit 😭🫧
i can’t.
so one of the most important things i can do is teach them what to do when something gets WEIRD.
🚪 you can leave.
🗣️ you can say NO.
🙅🏻♀️ you do not have to be polite.
📱 you can call me.
🤫 you can tell me even if somebody told you not to.
🫂 you can tell me even if you participated.
❤️🩹 you can tell me even if you’re afraid you’re going to get in trouble.
🚨 you can tell me even if you don’t have the words to explain exactly what happened.
“it felt weird” is enough to start the conversation.
BUT HERE’S THE OTHER HALF. 👀
we can teach children to listen to themselves all day long…
but when they finally come tell us something?
WE HAVE TO LISTEN.
because every time a child says someone made them uncomfortable and we respond with—
“oh, he’s just playing.”
“she would never do that.”
“you misunderstood.”
“but that’s your uncle.”
“they’re such a nice person.”
“are you sure?”
we may accidentally teach them something horrifying:
your internal alarm is less trustworthy than an adult’s reputation.
OOOOOOOOF. 😮💨💔
NO.
i want my children to learn the exact opposite.
🧠 your body talks to you.
👂🏼 you are allowed to listen.
🚪 you are allowed to leave.
🗣️ you are allowed to tell me.
🫂 and you do not have to convince me that your discomfort is valid before i take you seriously.
and grown-ups…
we have to become somewhere safe for the information to go. 🫂🏡
because an experience itself can absolutely be traumatic.
AND what happens afterward matters too.
being believed matters.
being protected matters.
having somewhere safe to bring the fear, confusion, shame, anger, questions and WEIRD matters.
so if we want our children to bring us the BIG weird things someday…
we have to practice listening when they bring us the little weird things today.
trust their instinct.
teach the tools.
be the safe space. 🫂🌈
welcome to WEIRD. 👀🚨
because apparently we’re making this a whole series now. 😂
— conscious littles co. 🌈
learning reimagined.