Talking about Sex and Sexuality to Your Adolescent 1
Talking about sex | Being a Grandparent
- Introduction
- Preparing for Puberty
- Continuing the Discussion
- Why It's Hard for Teens to Resist Sex
- Reasons for Teens to Save Sex for Marriage
- Factors that Can Lead to Teens Having Sex
- Reducing the Risks that Can Lead to Teens Having Sex
- The Role of Identity in Preventing Teen Sex
- Spotting Unhealthy Relationships
- Pointers for Parents on Starting the Dialogue
Introduction
Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad . . . The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.
(Proverbs 27:11-12)
Parents may cringe at the thought, but there's no denying that adolescence is a time of sexual awakening. Young people's bodies—and accordingly, their thoughts and emotions—begin to change.
Sexual curiosity is high, particularly for boys. Girls—especially those with low self-esteem—may fall prey to the almost inevitable, sudden increase in male attention.
Parents should talk to their children about sexual behavior before this point, as young people who develop healthy self-esteem early in life are typically better able to navigate the rough waters of adolescence.
So don't panic or shy away from your developing teen. They need you to get a grip on your own fears and discomfort so you can focus on helping them anticipate and learn how to address what's around the corner in their life . . . emotionally, physically, spiritually and relationally.
1 Adapted from the booklet, Talking About Sex and Sexuality to Your Adolescent (Copyright © 2000 Focus on Your Family), itself an excerpt from The Complete Book of Baby & Child Care (Copyright © 1997 Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved). Accessed on-line January 30, 2007 at http://www.focusonyourchild.com/develop/art1/A0000982.html.