Some conversations with kids—as important as they may be—are always awkward. But one mom’s viral TikTok is inspiring parents to have a conversation about consent with their kids in a creative way that lessens some of the discomfort—on both sides.
“As the parent of a 14-year-old boy, sometimes you’ve got to have conversations that you don’t really want to have. But it’s important, you know, conversations about the birds and the bees, for example, or how to behave when you’re out in public so you don’t embarrass your mom—that sort of thing,” comedian mom Mel Moon says in her video. “Well today we’re going to be talking about consent, and I’m going to use my tea and the famous tea analogy to get my point across in a lighthearted but informative way.”
She then heads into her son Riley’s bedroom, letting him know, “Today we’re going to be talking about something very serious, OK? We’re going to be talking about consent. Do you want a cup of tea before we get started?”
Riley lets her know that no, he doesn’t want any tea, but she starts pressing him about it.
“Not even a drop of tea?” she asks. “I make a really good cup of tea. It’ll be the best cup of tea you’ve ever had.”
Riley still refuses, so Moon continues, “You don’t want a cup of tea, OK. But I’ve already boiled the kettle. If I don’t make the tea, the kettle might explode.”
Riley, now beginning to sound frustrated, responds that he doesn’t care and he doesn’t want one.
“But everyone else is drinking tea. You’ll be stupid if you’re not drinking tea,” Moon says, before switching tactics again. “You don’t have to do anything you know. I’ll make the tea, and you can just lie there — I’ll pour it down your throat.”
At this point, Riley seems to be starting to catch on that this cup of tea isn’t just a cup of tea. He responds, “How weird is that? I don’t want one.”
Moon says, “It’s just — we’re having this chat. Most people drink tea when they chat. I assumed, you know.”
Finally, Riley gives in. “Just get me the tea,” he says.
When Moon returns with his tea and sets it down next to him, she immediately asks, “So are you going to drink it then?”
Riley, now sounding exasperated, shouts, “I told you 25 different times I didn’t want it.”
“Right, so I’ve gone to the trouble of making it and now that it’s here you don’t want it,” Moon responds.
Riley finally asks, “Why are you being so weird about tea?”
And finally, Moon can get to the point of her talk with her teen. She asks, “Am I making you uncomfortable?” to which he emphatically agrees.
“And that is consent, right? If she says no, she doesn’t want to do it,” Moon continues. “And if you constantly try and convince her, even when she eventually says yes because she’s so sick of your moaning, she still doesn’t want to do it, and that is nonconsensual. Do you understand?”
In a dejected voice, Riley responds, “Yes.”
Moon responds, “Excellent. Lesson learned. And just so we’re clear, you know that tea is a euphemism for—”
Hilariously, Riley cuts her off by shouting “Sex!”
The video ends when they share a sweet moment. As Moon is leaving his room, she turns back and says, “Actually, if you’re not going to have that cup of tea, I will,” causing Riley to burst into giggles.
In the comments, many other parents praised her novel approach to talking about a sometimes awkward subject.
“That was absolutely excellent. What a terrific way to teach him,” one person wrote.
Another added, “First I was like ‘HE TOLD YOU NO’ followed by an immediate ‘aaaaaaah right, job well done.”
This is likely to be a lesson Riley remembers, and that’s the important thing.
