More on talking about sex
I have posted before on how to talk with your kids about sex before. But here’s an additional tip: Practice saying all of those tricky words (penis, vagina, vulva, orgasm, ejaculate, etc.) beforehand. In fact, practice saying them right now! Just getting over the embarrassment of hearing your own voice saying “oral sex” can be a big deal. Then, once you’re use to that, imagine saying it in front of your teenager. Making sure you neither giggle nor choke over “roll the condom down over the shaft of the penis” will go a long way to giving your words credit in your children’s eyes.
What words have you had trouble saying in front of your children? What words did your parents have trouble saying in front of you?
December 12th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
At present my problem is that I don’t have enough of a problem saying words in front of my two-year-old!
My parents could not say any slang words for any body part or function in front of me, including “fart” and “butt.” I like your advice to practice saying words out loud; I’m going to do that.