Reports of daycares in Germany implementing “sexual exploration rooms” for young children have ignited a wave of controversy and concerns among parents.
According to multiple German outlets, two childcare locations in North Rhine-Westphalia introduced plans for designated spaces where children may engage in sexual games as part of their “sexual exploration.”
One daycare in Rheinberg reportedly encourages children to participate in “doctor games” where they can “explore” each other’s bodies. Children are told to pick one of their peers they want to “explore” and to “carefully” examine their bodies.
A similar initiative was introduced in a daycare center in Hanover and was previously reported by the German newspaper Bild earlier this year. In that case, the daycare informed parents about the “doctor games.”
“All children, especially preschoolers, are aware of the places in the facility where nudity and body exploration can take place,” the daycare expressed in a guidance statement. “Each child decides for themselves whether and with whom they want to play physical and sexual games. Girls and boys pet and examine each other only as much as is comfortable for themselves and other children.”
The German newspaper Die Welt reached out to the North Rhine-Westphalia children’s ministry about this practice taking place in daycares but was told that “sexual behavior by children” cannot be prevented and that the ministry has no intention of preventing the practice or contacting the daycares.
The concept of “exploration rooms” was publicly recommended to daycares by the German association Pro Familia. The concept of these rooms revolves around creating “safe spaces” where children can “explore their bodies” and engage in activities that involve bodily contact. Parents are now speaking out over the obvious concerns of this practice.
One concerned parent told Bild his objections to the use of “exploration rooms.”
“My daughter is five years old. I don’t want boys groping her,” he said. “I have another child in another daycare center [where] there is no such thing [as an exploration room].”
A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Education in Lower Saxony responded to the backlash, agreeing that, “The educational concept in this form endangers the well-being of the child.” The daycare in Hanover proceeded to cancel its initiative to have students engage in “doctor games.” The management company that oversees the nursery group later stated that the letter informing parents about the practice was never approved by the head office.
This piece first appeared at TPUSA.
