The "birds and the bees" talk
Kristin Hawley
Parent's listen up! It might be time to have another sex talk with your children, even if you've had one before.
Talk about uncomfortable and awkward---having the "sex talk" with your children. But now new research is showing that you might need to have that same talk over and over again.
As your children grow older you have plenty of things to teach them. One of the more uncomfortable ones is sitting down and having "the talk" with them. It can make you embarrassed and uncomfortable, but it is something very important to their overall health as they get older, especially as they enter their teen years.
But something parents themselves might not want to hear is that a new study is showing having this conversation more than once---In fact on an ongoing basis----is key to having an open relationship with your teens. This open relationship means they will be more likely to discuss sexual issues they encounter with you. And other research has shown that this type of open relationship leads to teens delaying having sex, less teen pregnancy and less sexually transmitted diseases.
But I'll be the first to admit this is easier said than done. Conversations with your kids about sex are awkward at best. Some ways to help are to start young and properly name body parts. Also remember to keep the conversation open as they get older. If you think it'll help, use books to help start discussions. And while watching movies or TV with your children, make sure you discuss situations that they see on screen.
The key is to keep the conversation open and listen to your children when it comes to the "sex talk" so they'll feel comfortable opening up to you when they need to.
