My 5-Year-Old Niece Whispered, “The Chair Hurts Me”—Then She Showed Me What She Had Hidden Underneath

Not too close.

“What do you want to tell me?”

She shook her head.

Then:

“You won’t tell them first?”

I thought carefully before answering.

“If you tell me somebody is hurting you or you’re not safe, I may need to get another grown-up whose job is to help children.”

Fear crossed her face.