Is it weird when your dad leaves the bathroom door open and calls you in to bring him something and you are a female?
Dear Cheyenne,
I am really sorry that you are feeling uncomfortable with your family member. If you feel weird or uncomfortable about it, then go with your gut feeling. Your concerns are valid and it’s important to honor your feelings and to set boundaries with people, even adult family members. I also understand that this can be really hard to do, especially with your father. It takes a lot of courage to set boundaries.
Next time he calls you into the bathroom, you can pretend you don’t hear him, or out rightly tell him you’re not going to do that. If you feel comfortable talking to him about it, let him know you’re not okay with doing that and that it makes you uncomfortable when he asks you to do this. It’s also important to let trusted people know that you feel uncomfortable. Reach out to your family for support.
If you feel like you could use some back up, talk to another family member or a counselor from school. You can also call RAINN (The National Sexual Assault Hotline) 24/7 at 1-800-656-HOPE to talk to someone about what’s going on, or go online to live chat with someone https://hotline.rainn.org/online.
Hope this helps!
Take care, Auntie Manda
