Olympian Aly Raisman's New Book Teaches Kids About Consent: 'They Deserve To Feel Safe'

'From My Head to My Toes' is meant to be an introduction to topics like body autonomy, using your voice, and consent.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Olympic Gymnastics Champion Aly Raisman knows how to use her voice as an advocate for abuse survivors—and she wants to make sure young kids know how to do the same. Raisman's first children's book, From My Head to My Toes, not only introduces children to the idea of using your voice but also critical issues like consent and body autonomy.

Raisman won Olympic gold medals in 2012 as a member of the U.S. team dubbed "The Fierce Five." In addition to the team gold, she also won a gold medal on the floor exercise, and a bronze on the balance beam. In 2016, Raisman returned to the Olympics and won another team gold as a member of "The Final Five," as well as silver medals in the individual all-around and the floor exercise.

But what none of us knew during that time was that Raisman was one of the hundreds of young girls being abused by USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar is currently serving a life sentence for his crimes.

One year after winning her third gold medal, Raisman came forward to tell her story, along with several famous teammates, including fellow Olympians Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglas. Raisman has since turned her trauma into power and with her children's book, she's hoping to teach kids about some of the warning signs.

"I wanted to create something that I wish I had access to when I was younger related to consent, using your voice and body autonomy," Raisman tells Parents.

She worked with advocacy organizations like Darkness to Light and Monique Burr Foundation to write the book, which is geared toward children ages 4 to 8.

"I partnered with experts and organizations who work with children and specialize in this type of dialogue to help ensure it was digestible for them," Raisman explains. "I also thought about any survivors of abuse who might read my book to a child they love and care for and I wanted them to be comfortable with the text too."

Normalizing Tough Conversations

The text is very powerful. In the book, Raisman not only talks about all the things your body can do but also the way your body responds to how you may feel. It also tells kids they get to decide what happens with their bodies.

"From my head to my toes, my body is my own. If someone wants to hug me or tickle me, they must ask me first," the book reads.

The book empowers kids to say "no" or "stop" if they are uncomfortable, and how to go to a "safe" adult for help. It also reiterates that everyone is beautiful, powerful, and worthy.

"I hope it helps normalize hard conversations and helps them know that their voices are powerful and they deserve to feel safe," Raisman says. "I think each child may take away something different. But if it helps them in any way, I feel really proud of that." 

Bea Jackson beautifully illustrates the book, creating scenes kids can relate to. The children and adults in the book are diverse. (Tip: See if you can spot Raisman's dog Mylo!)

"I do hope kids can see themselves in the book and I also wanted to showcase activities that I enjoy doing, including gymnastics and gardening," explains Raisman. "It was intentional to include nature and certain colors because I believe nature can be healing and calming."

Overall, Raisman says education and awareness are critical steps toward preventing abuse. But kids can't be expected to know the signs if adults aren't aware as well.

"We’ve made progress, but need to continue to create safe spaces for people to use their voices and that starts with education and more awareness," says Raisman.

The important topics in this book make it a must-read for any parent with their child. It's never too early to start to have these difficult conversations. From My Head to My Toes helps get that conversation started in an age-appropriate way.

"My goal was to create a book about a challenging but important topic that isn’t too difficult or heavy to read," says Raisman. "These conversations can be daunting and hard to talk about but because my book is for children, we really wanted to make sure it felt light, happy, and positive. Hopefully, adults and children feel that. "

Following Your Passions

Gymnastics is still very much a part of Raisman's life. She recently started commentating for NCAA Women's Gymnastics, which has taken on a life of its own in recent years. The sport is bringing in record-breaking crowds and attracting some of the country's top gymnasts to compete at big-name colleges.

"It is wonderful to see how much the sport is growing," Raisman says. "I’ve really enjoyed commentating for ESPN and love seeing how much joy the gymnasts have for the sport." (Look for Raisman's analysis during this month's NCAA National Championships!)

As a former gymnast myself, I couldn't help but ask Raisman about the upcoming Olympics in Paris, and who we should be watching out for.

"The team isn’t picked until Olympic trials which is the end of June, so I don’t usually do predictions until it gets much closer because it really depends on who peaks at the right time," Raisman explains. "I feel confident to pick Simone [Biles], of course!"

(Just in case you don't know who Simone Biles is, she's known as the greatest gymnast of all time who is making a run for her third Olympic Games. Biles has seven Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.)

I asked Raisman if she misses competing on the elite level internationally, "I miss the fun times spent with my teammates the most, and [I] am looking forward to being a spectator."

Raisman also offered this advice for little kids with big dreams.

"I think it’s important to find something, whether a sport or hobby, that you love and feel passionate about," she says. "If you change your mind and don’t like something anymore, try something else."

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Read the original article on Parents.