Kids don’t want to discuss something they feel guilty about, because they don’t want to let their parents down. Nor do they want their parents to add to their guilt. They want their parents to be happy with them, yet the actions that led to the guilt may have resulted in part from a lack of instruction from Mom and Dad. But the objective here is not to find someone to blame. The objective is to bring about understanding, and thereby, change. It’s a change that must overcome the traditional inhibitions most of us in the older generation have about discussing sex.
Kids really want to find the answers they need—at home. What often turns them off is that parents jump to conclusions or over-lecture instead of really listening to what their teens are trying to say or ask. If parents show an interest in their children when they are young, the kids will show an interest in their parents later. Good communication with teenagers and younger children requires a lot of time and thought, but it is the start of a lifelong family relationship. The right time to start talking to your children is now—it’s never too late to start.
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