8 Friday, May 21, 2021brooklintowncrier.com When some creep ogled my daughter Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Last week, I saw a guy checking out my 11-year-old in her shorts, and I kind of freaked out. We were in line at the ice cream store and I was reading the menu on the window. I glanced at my daughter just as an adult man, probably in his mid-20s, openly checked my daughter out, his eyes scanning her body, before he disappeared into the store next door. I was too shocked to say anything. I just froze. After getting our ice-cream, I asked my daughter if she'd noticed. She hadn't, and her first response was, "Oh God, that's gross." She wondered if it was somehow her fault. I quickly told her, "This is in no way about what you're wearing or anything you did. He is, as you said, just gross." Before continuing, I want to point out that her shorts are not booty shorts. They are simple athletic shorts which come to mid thigh. We were driving home when I realized this is just the beginning. My little girl has now reached the point where some older boys and men will think it's okay to make comments about her body, despite the fact she's a child. As her body develops, there's no hiding her curves. I don't want her to feel uncomfortable nor self-conscious. I want her to grow up to be proud of her athletic body, not concerned that by wearing certain clothes, she's giving males an invitation to check her out. I doubt any of us moms made it through girlhood without sexist comments. Back then, we may have even said "thank you" in response because we'd been taught this was flattering, even though inside our skin crawled. I don't want this to be something she has to deal with. Maybe things will be better for her than they were for me growing up. My first instinct in this situation was to freeze. I didn't do anything. But my delayed reaction as a mom is to protect her and to personally tell every guy who comments on her body exactly where he can go. If I think back, I do remember being excited by some male attention at that age. I understand that my daughter will probably feel this way, too. It's a powerful feeling to suddenly be seen as a young lady. Fortunately, because our daughters are growing up in a time and culture when they're being encouraged to be more assertive, we can help teach them to react differently than we would have, without jeop- ardizing their safety. If there are people nearby, saying "You're a stranger. Don't touch me!" can help bring attention to the perpetrator. What's important is that she removes herself from the situation and doesn't freeze. It's important to teach our kids to react swiftly and to actually do something if it feels safe to do so and to not let predators get away with it. The next time something like this happens - sadly, we all know there will be a next time - I've decided I'm going to say very loudly, "Why are you checking out my 11-year-old child?" And if it happens in a public place, I'll definitely consider reporting it. We've quietly tolerated and denied the seriousness of this behaviour for far too long. I want to teach my daughter to react differently than I was taught so she will not be victimized.