Mum's claim that tickling is child abuse divides the internet

One mothers view on tickling has divided the internet. Photo / 123rf

A mum's extreme view on social media has divided the internet, as she has controversially claimed that tickling should be considered "child abuse".

According to the mother, if a child does not consent to tickling, the parent should stop immediately.

If not, it should be construed as an act of child abuse.

"If they [kids] come looking for it/ask for it, they like it [tickling]," she wrote in a message to another mum, which has since been widely shared on Facebook.

"Stop when they ask you to stop."

"It's about consent and you are teaching them their body, their rules."

The other parent was taken aback.

"So it'd be child abuse to do it to my kids?" the parent replied in the text message exchange.

They pointed out that most kids are extremely fickle and will change their mind constantly.

"They will literally tell you to stop, then immediately ask to be tickled more."

"But generally it's actually the best way to momentarily paralyse a toddler in order to get shoes on them," they adding jokingly.

However, their quip didn't appear to diffuse the situation.

"This [not tickling] is one small thing you can do to show respect," the first mother fired back.

"It's easy and causes no harm. Why wouldn't you?"

As to be expected, the internet slammed the mum for taking the issue way too seriously.

"Tickling isn't going to traumatise a kid in this case," said one.

"What? We argue about tickling now? 2020 is the worst," said another.

But others agreed with the perhaps overly protective mum.

"I hate being tickled because my brother and sister would tickle me and tickle me and tickle me and wouldn't stop even when I started crying. I'm totally with [the mum]," said one.

"I tickle my kids, but stop the second they ask me to," said another.

"I agree that it's a great way to teach consent," another person commented on the Facebook post.