For many parents, broaching the topic of the ‘Talk’ evokes a sense of apprehension. The modern world often has children possessing more knowledge on the subject than their guardians.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure your children are adequately informed as they transition into adolescence and develop increased curiosity. Nevertheless, it is astonishing how many parents feel too ashamed to engage in this vital dialogue.
Statistics reveal that over 58% of parents with children aged between 10 and 13 have yet to initiate the conversation. Some of them seem to rely on the internet or friends for their children’s knowledge.
Nonetheless, when contemplating the consequences of teenage pregnancy and its life-altering effects, enduring a bit of discomfort during such discussions seems like a minor sacrifice.
In this article, let us look at three ways to ensure that you can make the talk less awkward and more insightful.
1. Stop Dodging Questions Early On
One of the biggest reasons that embarrassment and awkwardness arise is not because of the subject matter. It’s that until then, the parent-child relationship ignored the subject completely.
To suddenly sit down with your son or daughter and start talking about the importance of safe sex and how reproduction works is naturally going to be embarrassing.
The truth is, that kids ask a lot of questions, well before adolescence. As younger kids, they may have observed animals at a zoo, and when they ask questions, you deflect with answers like “Oh, they’re just playing.”
Kids aren’t that dumb. They know when you are hiding something or don’t want to talk about a subject. You will find that having the talk in adolescence becomes much less awkward if you haven’t been dodging questions in the past.
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2. Focus on Actually Providing Insightful Information
Look, the fundamental principles of reproduction aren’t too difficult to grasp. So, while it’s important to ensure that they understand how it works, it doesn’t have to be the main focus. Instead, use this opportunity to provide them with insights they might not get elsewhere.
For instance, if you are talking with your daughter, ensure that she understands the implications and even the dangers of certain birth control measures. Unless you are snooping through your daughter’s private life, you won’t really know the kind of influence her friends have on her. If one of them recommends a particular birth control method, your daughter may not think twice about using it.
However, as adults, we are aware that some methods have serious health risks. The Paragard IUDs are a great example. As TorHoerman Law states, these IUDs have been found to fracture during use or upon removal, resulting in severe internal injuries.
It’s no wonder that the Paragard IUD lawsuit settlement amounts are reaching as high as $400,000. Ensuring your child understands these implications is extremely important and ends up protecting them from a lot of pain or suffering down the line.
3. The Talk Doesn’t Have to Happen in One Go
Parents make the talk more awkward because they want to get it over with and go back to never thinking about it again. A better option would be to spread out the discussion over time. This can be over weeks, months, or even years. You can keep an eye out for opportunities where an insight or a piece of advice can be dropped.
In this way, there’s no real, prolonged period of awkwardness that your child is forced to sit through. If the conversation does end up going longer and you feel like you are embarrassing them, don’t worry. You can admit that it is an awkward topic because we aren’t used to talking about it, however, it’s still important to discuss these things.
Likewise, if you feel like your kids are going to cringe during the talk, try to keep the focus on facts. While you may be tempted to ask them personal questions, this isn’t the time or place. You can always ask questions later on.
Ensure you have a clear outline of what you want to share, and avoid starting an investigation into aspects your kids aren’t fully comfortable discussing yet.
In conclusion, having the talk with your kids doesn’t have to be such a traumatic experience. As we have learned today, being honest with your child goes a long way.
Sure, you may feel like some concepts aren’t appropriate early on, but if you want to save yourself awkwardness in the future, stop pushing things under the rug.
Remember, your kids aren’t going to stay kids forever. It’s a little silly to think that delaying or disguising this subject achieves anything in the long run. So, relax, try to be a little open-minded, and find the right time to have this important conversation.
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