I think the tendency is for parents to stop or slow down talking to their kids about sex as they age. From the experiences of the parents I teach, it sounds like, for most of us, our parents tried out a couple of conversations, told us to ask if we had questions and that was it.
Several women in the last month or so have told me they thought their parents figured they were smart and wouldn’t do anything stupid, so the conversation stopped. If it had started at all.
It makes a lot of sense to me that parents stop talking to kids about this once they hit the later teen years, 16 and on. They are clearly able to navigate the world at large, they don’t seem interested in talking to us about anything, their friends are full of information, and well, really, who wants to talk about sex anyway – with anyone?
But they do want and need to hear from us. There are so many things that happen in the later teen years with friends and relationships. They need us to help them navigate the crazy world they are entering.
They are still kids, after all. There is new research showing our brains aren’t fully developed until 23-25. Fully developed brains need help and that means us.
So, stick to your early habits of talking about everything – your kids will someday thank you for it!
