Let's Talk About Sex - Baby? (Word of Caution - Parental Guidance is highly recommended)

In all honesty, my parents didn't really talk about sex with me until right before my freshman year in high school. And, again in all honesty, I don't think that I was ready for it even then. However, in today's society, it is just not reasonable to wait that long. My son who just completed the seventh grade, took sex ed this year with my permission. And, while that six week class was informative about the physical aspects of sex, it did not even begin to touch the emotional issues at stake. 

According to a recent study sponsored by Nickelodeon, The Kaiser Family Foundation, and Children Now, 71 percent of the parents said that they had discussed the basics of reproduction, and 49 percent had said that they had discussed knowing when someone is ready for sex. Unfortunately, 46 percent of the kids didn't remember the conversation, and 43 percent said that they got their information from their peers. I, for one, have not had one specific "talk", I more or less discuss things as they come up. That is going to change. 

Several major magazines and television shows have recently been discussing the fact that sex (mostly oral) is starting younger and younger. In fact, this recently hit very close to home when one of my closet friend's daughter became sexually active in this manner when she and her boyfriend of six months were still in the eighth grade. Evidently, several of her friends and their boyfriends had also done the same. Her parents were scared, furious, and hurt all at the same time. I didn't even know what to say. However, I knew that discussions with my son needed to start being a priority - yesterday. 

Talk with Your Kids, a national campaign also by the Kaiser Foundation and Children Now, suggests the following ten tips for talking with your kids about difficult topics: 

1. Start early. 

2. Initiate conversations with your child. 

3. ...Even about sex and sexuality. 

4. Create an open environment. 

5. Communicate your own values. 

6. Listen to your child. 

7. Try to be honest. 

8. Be patient. 

9. Use everyday opportunities to talk 

10. Talk about it again, and again! 

As difficult as these discussions may seem, they cannot hold a candle to how difficult it is to discuss and deal with the possible consequences of not doing it, and doing it again. More information about discussing things with your child can be found at: www.talkingwithkids.org.

 

Resources:

Talking With Kids Organization: http://www.talkingwithkids.org