BU KİTAP ÇOCUKLARDA MAHREMİYET EĞİTİMİ ETWİNNİNG PROJESİ ORTAKLARI TARAFINDAN BİRLİKTE ORTAK ÜRÜN OLARAK HAZIRLANMIŞTIR

THIS BOOK WAS PREPARED AS A JOINT PRODUCT BY THE PARTNERS OF THE CHILDREN'S PRIVACY EDUCATION ETWINNING PROJECT.

Preview audio:

storyj.mp/ahawg8cpxcyr

Mükerrem KEFE Ragıp Naile Saraç Anaokulu Yalova/Türkiye

Elif was a cheerful and curious child. One day, her teacher told her, "Every person has an invisible circle. This circle is called the circle of privacy. Not everyone can enter this circle." Elif was very curious: "Who can enter this circle?"

Her teacher smiled: "Only those Elif allows! People she trusts, like her mother, father, or doctor... And even they can only enter if Elif gives permission." Elif nodded: "So, if I don't want to, no one can hug or touch me!" "Yes!" said her teacher. "And if something makes you uncomfortable, you must tell a trusted adult." From that day on, Elif learned that her body belonged only to herself.

Gülfidan SEVİL

Ragıp Naile Saraç Anaokulu Yalova/Türkiye

When Elif returned home that evening, she kept thinking about what her teacher had said. She went to her room, picked up her doll, and drew an imaginary circle around it. Now she knew how powerful this invisible circle was; it was as if she were inside a magical bubble protecting her. Just then, following the pleasant smells coming from the kitchen, she went inside and saw that a friend of her father's had come to visit. As soon as the visiting uncle saw Elif, he stood up, hugged her tightly, and pinched her cheeks. Elif hesitated for a moment; her heart began to beat rapidly, and at that moment, her teacher's words echoed in her ears.

Sibel ERDOĞ Ayhan Cahit Gülan Kızılay Anaokulu Yalova/Türkiye

For Elif, this situation was a crucial opportunity to test the new information she had learned.
Elif didn't like being pinched on the cheeks or being hugged too tightly. A feeling of discomfort welled up in her stomach. She immediately took a step back and said in a gentle but firm voice,
"Please allow me to hug you without permission, it makes me uncomfortable."
Silence fell in the room. Her father's friend was surprised, but her father immediately intervened. He had seen the serious expression in Elif's eyes. Smiling, he turned to his friend and said:
"Elif is right. We are currently learning about national borders and respecting them. We can greet each other by waving or shaking hands."

Durdane Ertufan Akabe Primary School KONYA TURKEY

When her father finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room gradually softened. His friend paused briefly, then an understanding smile appeared on his face. He leaned down to Elif's level and, spreading his hands wide, said,

“I’m sorry, Elif. I didn’t realize I was disturbing you. Shall we wave?”

Elif felt the tension inside her lessen. The tightness in her stomach slowly subsided. Her eyes shifted to her father; he nodded with a supportive look. Elif smiled and raised her hand, waving joyfully. “Okay,” she said. “Waving is good.”

That moment was a small but very important moment

was a small but very important moment of realization for Elif. She had been able to say that her body belonged to her, and those words had been taken seriously. No one had scolded her, no one had silenced her. On the contrary, everyone had listened to her…

Fatma İNAN

Martyr Selman Özay Primary School

SAMSUN

The next day, Elif went out to the schoolyard with her friends. Her closest friend, Kerem, ran excitedly over to her with his new action figure. Kerem was very energetic while playing and, without realizing it, began to tug Elif's arm hard, dragging her toward the playground. At that moment, Elif remembered what she had discussed with her father the previous day and immediately knew what to do.

Elif stopped and gently but firmly pulled Kerem's hand away. She was ready to use the magical power she had learned from her father the previous evening.

Sibel DURMUŞOĞLU Ürgüp 15 Temmuz İlkokulu Nevşehir TÜRKİYE

Elif took a deep breath, a calm smile appearing on her face. Looking Kerem straight in the eye, she spoke in a clear and polite voice:

“Stop, Kerem. I don't want you to pull like that. It hurts.”

Kerem paused for a moment. He noticed the determination in Elif's voice. Elif continued:

“I want to play together, but please let's play by talking, without pulling my hand.”

Kerem was surprised but immediately nodded.

“I'm sorry, Elif, I didn't realize,” he said. “If you want, let's play with the figures here.”

Elif felt relieved. She remembered her father’s words: “Protecting yourself is a magical power.” This power wasn’t about screaming or running away; it was about expressing her feelings and protecting her boundaries.

EBRU ZENGİN MİLLİ İRADE ANAOKULU -BURSA

Elif and Kerem placed the figures in front of them and sat side by side. This time, Kerem asked, “Elif, which character would you like to be?” Elif smiled. “I’ll be the teacher, and you’ll be the student,” she said. Throughout the game, Kerem behaved carefully. When he wanted to do something, he asked first, and Elif didn’t hesitate to express her feelings. The game became more fun and peaceful. Elif thought to herself, “I was happy when I set my boundaries, and our game became more enjoyable.” That day, Elif learned something else: True magic was hidden in listening to each other.