It’s easy to think about all the ways your parents didn’t do a great job teaching you about sexuality: the facts they avoided telling you, the times they freaked out or got judgy, the conversations they shut down, the things you wish you’d known. But they probably didn’t get it all wrong. Likely they told […]
Explaining Periods to Little Kids
When you buy pads or tampons, do you try to hide them from your kids? Do you avoid talking about your or your partner’s period when kids are around? If so, I respectfully suggest you try the opposite approach: Use periods as a conversation opener. Really. Having a period is a normal, healthy thing; it’s […]
With Birds & Bees, Questions Matter as Much as Answers
It can be hard to talk about sexuality with kids. It’s even harder if you think you need to have all the answers. Good news! You don’t need to know everything in order to be a valuable resource to your kids. Rather than worrying much about information, pay attention to the emotional tone of how […]
What Happens on the Bus Shouldn’t Stay on the Bus
Think back to when you rode the school bus. Was it a calm situation where all the children were well-behaved and kind? Or was it something of a free-for-all, with rowdiness, teasing, and sometimes worse? Yup, that’s what I thought. Your kids’ bus ride is likely the least-supervised part of their school day. It’s also […]
It’s a Great Day for the Birds & the Bees
No matter the age of your child, today is a terrific day to take one small step toward the quality of their eventual sex life. (Which, yes, someday they will actually have….) It’s World Sexual Health Day—so go for it! Here are some easy ways to get the birds and the bees convo started (or […]
Should Your Toddler Be Naked at the Beach?
The joys of summer: lakes, beaches, pools; swimsuits instead of jackets. It’s wonderful to embrace the freedom of being outside and feeling the air on your skin. But how much skin should a child show? As in, is it okay for kids to run around in the buff? At what age, if any, does this […]
Mentioning the “M Word” to Your Kids
So, I can’t believe I almost missed International Masturbation Month. But there’s still time for me to write this post—and for you to use the word in front of your kids.* It’s not as difficult as you might think! (*And, of course, there’s no deadline. This is just an easy way to bring up the […]
Do You Close the Door on the Birds and the Bees?
Talking about sex is so awkward that many parents want to put it off. Consciously or unconsciously, they miss opportunities to talk about sexual topics when they come up in daily life. That may be a relief in the moment, but it isn’t great for the long run. How about you? How well do you […]
Raising Decent Kids in the #MeToo Era
You’re trying to raise your kids to be good people. You want them to respect themselves and others. You want them to be responsible, including about relationships and, when the time comes, sex. That was hard enough before; since #MeToo aimed a spotlight on sexual harassment and assault, you may be even more concerned about […]
Protecting Your Kid from Porn
The amount and variety of pornography available on the internet is truly amazing. And if you’re a parent, it’s truly terrifying. How can you keep your children from seeing sexual material—-especially anything-but-mainstream behavior—that’s far beyond their ability to comprehend? Finding pornography at an early age is usually very unsettling for kids. Unlike teens, who have […]