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Communicating to your children about sex
By Wendy Simons
The one subject to talk about with your child that makes even the most attentive and successful of parents uneasy, is the one about sex. It is the last thing that we ever want to discuss with our kids as they are reaching those awkward teenager years, yet it is the most important subject that can be paid attention to when raising children.
Boys and girls get a lot of information (and misinformation) from school, friends, TV, and magazines about the physiological changes that their bodies are going through. But they also want to know facts about pregnancy, AIDS, STD s, contraception, how sex relates to love, relationships, and other sexuality issues.
Do not be afraid to talk to your children about sex. And if you are then you must first take a look inside yourself and ask "Why does the subject of sex and all of its related topics bother me?" "What do am I embarrassed to talk about sex with my son or daughter?"
We find that most of our issues with sex stem from our parents and how they treated the matter. If sexual issues were "forbidden" or if sex was taught as "sin" then chances are that you will have a hard time teaching your children about it, unless you resolve those issues yourself.
Having said that, once you indeed have come to terms with your own issues about sex, then you are ready to educate your children about it. Be aware though, that limited access to information on these topics can be dangerous.
While the United States has the highest teen-pregnancy rate in the industrialized nations, the nineties saw a decline in this country. This decline followed active educational efforts in the late 1980's, indicating that teen behavior can be influenced by information and resources.
As a successful parent, you can use this information that is available to help in communicating to your children about sex, pregnancy, disease, and related topics that can have a positive effect on your son or daughter's behavior. Your duty is to study these topics with your children and talk about the implications with them.
In your discussions of sex and related information, be sure to address the contradictory messages that your kids are receiving about the meaning of sex. If you have a daughter then explain to her that sex can be very dangerous for girls, yet "being sexy" significantly defines women's perceived value in our culture, whether we realize it or not. But you have to decide yourself which road map to choose when approaching your kids about sex.
Author Details:
Wendy Simons, writes for a number of sites about health, beauty and cosmetic surgery, she also makes contributions to the A-Z of.com.
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