“Yes. Everyone has the right to decide what kinds of physical touch feel okay for them, including with family members or people they love. Being related does not override a child’s right to bodily autonomy.
Saying no to a hug or other physical touch is allowed and does not mean your child is being rude or unkind. It is a boundary. There are many other ways to show care and connection that do not involve physical touch.
You can support your child by helping them practice respectful ways to say no and by reinforcing to other adults that consent and boundaries apply within families too. Respecting your child’s comfort and choices teaches them that their body belongs to them and that their boundaries matter.
Support your child in setting respectful boundaries and help other adults understand that consent applies within families too. If family values make this challenging, one way to approach this conversation is to figure out what the value behind the physical affection is. Is it respect? Love? Welcome? Once identified, see if there are other ways your child can communicate these values that does not require them to engage in unwanted physical touch. This framing can be used to communicate to adult family members the decisions you’ve made to keep your child safe.