Parenthood, in other words, isn’t just a tool for passing on our beliefs about bodies, but for learning about them. The ever-shifting nuances I had to embrace as I taught my children about needs and wants, and as they challenged me, made me realize how little I had been taught young about how to give and receive, how to account for power imbalances between friends and loved ones. It all demonstrated so clearly that care requires consent, and consent requires great care.
