06/04/2026
MY BRE!ASTS ARE SMALL BECAUSE NO ONE IS PRESSING THEM
I could not believe what I heard.
Slowly, I turned to my 13-year-old Mary.
"What did you just say?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.
"My bre@st is small because no one is pressing it," she repeated, her face carrying worry. "Jane’s bre@st is bigger than mine because someone is pressing it."
That moment could have gone wrong in many ways. I could have shouted. I could have panicked. But this was not the time to scare her. It was the time to understand what she had been told.
"How did you come to that conclusion?" I asked, gently placing my hand over hers.
"That’s what Uncle Mark said," she replied. "He said if he starts touching my bre@sts, mine will grow like Jane’s."
At that point, everything became clear.
I took a deep breath and looked at her with softness.
"Mary, let me explain something essential to you," I said, while she listened closely.
"Your body grows naturally. Bre@sts develop because of hormones as you grow older, not because someone touches them. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has the right to touch your body in that way,"
She looked surprised. "So… it’s not true?"
"No, it is not true,” I said firmly. “That is a lie, and it is a dangerous one."
I could see her trying to process it.
"But Jane…"
"Mary," I interrupted gently, "every girl’s body is different. Some develop early, some later. It does not mean anything is wrong with you. It does not mean you need help from anyone. Your body knows exactly what to do."
Her shoulders relaxed a little.
"What Uncle Mark said is not just wrong, it is inappropriate," I continued. "Any adult who tells you to allow them to touch your pr!vate parts is crossing a serious boundary."
She went quiet.
"So what should I do if something like that happens again?" she asked.
“You say no immediately,” I replied. “You move away. You don’t stay silent. And you tell a trusted adult right away. You will never be blamed for speaking up.”