Parents divided as Facebook mum claims tickling kids is 'child abuse'

A mum has divided parents with a Facebook post, claiming that tickling kids is 'child abuse'.

The unnamed poster took to the social media platform to share her views, explaining that even if a child asks to be tickled and are playing, parents should stop straight away if the child asks them to.

'If they come looking for it/ask for it, they like it. Stop when they ask you to stop.

'It’s about consent and you are teaching them their body, their rules,' she explained online.

Hitting back, another parent assured that tickling is a perfectly normal thing to do with little ones, wiring, 'So it’d be child abuse to do it to my kids?

'They don’t like it, then they do, then they don’t, then they want [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 will literally tell you to stop, then immediately ask to be tickled more.'

Arguing back, the determined mum insisted that children 'don't make the rules'.

'They like it ... that doesn’t mean they want it consistently/all the time.

'[My two-year-old] doesn't make the rules. If he did, we’d eat raisins and watch tractor YouTube videos all day.

'This is one small thing you can do to show respect.'

Plenty of other parents agreed with the claim.

'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 her. I tickle my kids, but stop the second they ask me to,' said one.

'I agree that it’s a great way to teach consent,' commented another.

Meanwhile, others felt the point was excessive, assuring that tickling is totally innocent and a great parenting tactic.

'It’s all fine and dandy to tell people how to parent their kids until you have kids of your own and you’re just trying to get through each and every day, then realise that parenting is much harder than it seems.'