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 Talking
Tips for Parents….
Do
your kids cover their ears or run to their rooms when you say you want to talk
about the birds and the bees? Do you
cover your ears and run to your room when you hear your kids talking about it?
We potty train our kids, we teach them their ABC’s and 123’s, how to tie
their shoes, good manners and as they get older we bravely sit in the passenger
seat and hand them the keys to teach them how to drive a car.
Why then, do we often skip over teaching our children about sexuality?
We wouldn’t rely on television, magazines, or our children’s friends
to teach them manners, how to use the potty or how to drive a car, and most
agree those venues are not the right teachers of our kids about healthy
sexuality.
No
matter how many books we read about how to talk to our children about the facts
of life, it’s still daunting. Sitting
down to have ‘the talk’ is feared and often avoided by children and parents
alike.
 It
doesn’t have to be daunting anymore! The
best time to have “the talk” is all the time.
Start young and keep going. If
your children are in their teens, it’s not too late to start to open up the
communication lines. Study after
study shows that teens want to hear from their parents (or guardians) about sex
and sexuality. And remember, just
because they ask doesn’t mean they’re doing it.
It is natural to wonder and think about sex and sexuality; it’s
difficult but very important to talk about it.
Talk with your kids
and the young people in you life…Start NOW!!!
Still not
convinced? Below are some tips to
get the conversation up and off the ground.
Teachable
Moments
- Relationships,
love, sex in the movies or on TV
- Related
news stories
- A
pregnant friend or relative
- Advertising
- Conversations
overhead by a child
- Beginning
puberty changes among themselves, friends for family
- Talking
about this program!
Start
a conversation (in the car, at dinner, before bed, etc.)
- “I’m
curious what your friends think about…”
- “I’m
wondering what you think about…”
- “Do
your friends talk about…”
- “We’ve
never talked about sex before, I’d like to start.
Let’s talk about what you already know first, about…”
- “This
is embarrassing for me, but I’d like to talk with you about love and sex,
because it’s important.” (and why it is important)
Use
books, websites and videos to help you…
- Check
them first, to be sure the values are in line with your own.
- Follow-up
by talking with your child about the topic.
If
talking is difficult…
- Write
a note first; then open up conversation.
- Recruit
a relative or friend to give you advice; or to be the mentor your child
needs on this topic.
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