LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – It’s Parenting Connection Tuesday and 6 News is here for you with tips, strategies, and helpful reminders from child development experts on how we can be better parents and guardians.
Today’s topic: Generational shift underway with parents talking about sex education
Leading parent education platform, Parents.com, just released the results of an exclusive survey they did about sex education and for the next few weeks, we will go over some of the highlights from what was discovered.
We start with how kids nowadays, know a lot more about sex than their parents did. In the survey, 40% of parents say the topic of sex was taboo in their household growing up and just one in three felt they were given enough information when they were a child. It’s those stats, according to Grace Bastidas, Editor-in-Chief for Parents.com, that are driving today’s caregivers to proactively provide their kids with a lot more knowledge about sex, and at a much younger age than before too.
Bastidas says, that talking about sex doesn’t have to happen in one shocking and-or long conversation, but instead gradually, and as soon as you can. “The earlier the better,” says Bastidas. “The more comfortable you can get at having these conversations with your children and making sure that they know that sex isn’t something to be ashamed or stigmatized the easier it will be, to continually refresh this conversation because it is an ongoing dialogue.”
Bastidas also says whether your child comes to you with a question or you proactively go to them, you should use positive language. She says this helps remove awkwardness and stigma and assures your kids that there is nothing shameful or wrong about sex.
