Children understand more than we often give them credit for. They may not grasp every detail in the moment, but they remember. And sometimes, what they remember can shape the decisions they make years later.

I know this from personal experience.

When I was around 4 or 5 years old, my older sister talked to me about suicide. At that age, I didn’t fully understand it. I remember being confused—why would someone ever feel like they had to go that route? It didn’t completely make sense to me at the time.

But as I got older, life became more complex. There were moments when I struggled and had those thoughts on and off for years. And during those moments, something stayed with me—what my sister had said. That early conversation became a quiet reminder in the back of my mind not to go through with it.

That’s the power of planting a seed early.

This means giving kids very clear tools they can carry with them as they grow.

For example, teaching consent can start very early:
“Your vagina/penis and every part of your body belongs to you, no one should touch or put anything on, in or near it at all”
“You can say no to hugs, even from family.”
“Safe adults will listen when you say no.”

Those lessons may seem small, but they build a foundation. A child who understands boundaries is more likely to recognize when something feels wrong—and more likely to speak up.

The same goes for conversations about emotional pain. Kids should know that feeling sad, confused, or overwhelmed is part of being human—but they should also know they are not alone, and there is always someone they can talk to.

These conversations shouldn’t happen just once. They should happen consistently.

Because one day, when a child faces a situation they don’t fully understand, they may reach back to something you said years earlier.

And that one conversation—no matter how small it seemed at the time—could be the reason they make a safer, healthier choice.

Silence doesn’t protect children. Knowledge, trust, and open communication do.