Lately, an Australian educator has sparked an animated debate by proposing that parents should ask their babies for consent before changing their diapers. Deanne Carson, who introduced this idea, has captured both interest and confusion, with some even jokingly wondering if similar permission would be needed to clean a cat’s litter box.
Parenting approaches are shifting quickly, and the idea of consent is appearing in unexpected areas. At first glance, the suggestion to request a baby’s permission to change a diaper seems impractical, especially since infants can’t verbally express agreement or refusal.
Nevertheless, Carson argues that the practice is less about obtaining explicit consent and more about establishing early respect for boundaries and bodily autonomy. She envisions a society where children grow up with a strong sense of personal agency.
By communicating with their babies—saying things like, “I’m going to change your diaper now, is that okay?”—and observing their reactions, parents can begin to introduce the principles of consent from the very beginning.
