Sex education is not just about sexual intercourse but rather should include the broader concept of sexuality including the physical, emotional, and social aspects of sex in our society. You have the opportunity to teach your children about love, relationships, and commitment not simply about the physical act of intercourse which they will naturally figure out on their own. It is the more difficult aspects with which most teens and young adults will struggle.
Conversations with Your Children about Sex:
When parent can talk with, not at their child about sex there are many benefits. One of these is that your children learn about an important part of life from people who love them and care about what happens to them both physically and emotionally. Children learn your value systems and beliefs around sex. If you can keep the lines of communication open about sex, then other difficult topics will not seem taboo to your children and when they have questions or concerns they will come to you first.
Some parents say that their children simply do not have questions about sex. Ok, but they are still learning about sex from others including their friends and the media. American media today contains sexual images and suggestive content. The average young viewer is exposed to over 15,000 sexual references per year and most of these do not depict responsible sexual behavior or give accurate information on pregnancy prevention or sexually transmitted infections.
Teaching children about their sexuality is a lifelong discussion, not one conversation. Help them make good choices for both their physical and emotional health while protecting themselves from predators.
Ok, don’t wish to overwhelm you so process the above information and look for parts 2 and 3 to be posted over the coming months.
