Children and Personal Boundaries

Most parents understand the importance of teaching a child to be respectful, responsible, and safe. Personal boundaries, however, can easily be overlooked by parents who focus too much attention on other character traits.

A child has poor personal boundaries if he or she…

• warms up to strangers too quickly
• refuses to (or forgets to) knock on doors before entering rooms
• constantly seeks affection from other children or adults (hugging, kissing, grabbing, etc.)
• seeks inappropriate affection from either parent (consider age-appropriateness)
• is invasive with regards to the privacy of others
• asks personal questions without regard for the other person’s feelings
• is overly trusting of others, especially strangers
• uses other people’s things without asking
• talks about things that most people would keep private
• wears clothing that is overly revealing or doesn’t cover up appropriately
• often “snatches” things from others (this could also be a “poor impulse” issue)

If you have a child with poor personal boundaries, then it might be helpful to discuss the importance of good boundaries with your child. Role-playing is another great way to teach appropriate boundaries to your child.