A CONVERSATION, NOT A “TALK”

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6

AS PARENTS, we rarely hold back when it comes to offering instructions to our children. We’re more than willing to offer our experiences, thoughts, and opinions on topics ranging from driving responsibly to their taste in music to their choice of friends, but we often overlook or avoid one important topic: sex. In most households, if sex is discussed at all, it surfaces as a onetime “talk” and then conveniently goes away, never to be mentioned again. But why do we avoid this important topic with our children?

Many parents shy away from this topic because they don’t know what to say or how to say it without feeling uncomfortable. Other parents reason that they can’t compete with their children’s friends or the media. Many feel that kids will be more curious about sex and want to do it if they talk about it, and some parents are in denial that their children are even thinking about sex.

When it comes to the issue of sex, we should not think in terms of “the Talk” but rather an ongoing conversation. Our children are inundated daily with hundreds of sexually explicit messages from our culture, and as parents we must be diligent to help them hear and understand God’s perspective on sex and sexuality. If we are silent, the only message our children will hear is our culture’s corrupted view of sex. Remaining silent on the subject is not an option.

BOTTOM LINE

Research shows that parents have the greatest impact on their kids’ decisions about sex—more than friends and the media. Take a proactive approach.

Moment of Strength: Ephesians 6:4