Talking To Your Teen About Sex and Sexuality

Talking to your teen about sex and sexuality can be super awkward. But it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, sexuality educator Dr. Nadine Thornhill joins us to give us guidance on the best way to approach this topic with our teens.

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The first time Journey mentioned sex to me she was about 8-years-old. While getting ready for bed she casually mentioned that two of her classmates were having sex?! Somehow I managed to keep it together and ask her what she thought that meant. She said it meant something like hugging in the bed. I added that it was something that adults do when they love each other and we ended the conversation.

Since then we’ve had many conversations about sex and sexuality that have advanced as she has gotten older. It’s always been my goal to make sure that she was educated enough not to be fooled by common misconceptions about sex.

Teaching your teen, especially girls, how to set boundaries, learn about healthy relationships and what to do when they’re ready to have sex is so important. Not sure how to start the conversation? Dr. Thornhill is here with tips and resources to make it easier to talk to your teen about sex and sexuality.

In this episode we discuss…

Why we feel so uncomfortable talking about sex
Why parents feel the need to parent perfectly
How to break the ice with your teen to start the conversation
How to use media as a way to start the conversation
How to manage your body language when your kid asks you a question you may not be ready to answer
Why you shouldn’t rely solely on the school sex education program to teach your teen about sex
How you help your teen set boundaries
What your teen should do when they are ready to have sex
How to build a strong relationship with your teen so that they come to you when it matters
Why it is important to communicate your values and why you hold those values to your kids
Why it is important to model healthy relationships for your your kids

Resources

For more tips on talking to your teen about sex and sexuality, Dr. Thornhill has some great videos on her YouTube channel that cover just about every topic you can imagine. You can watch them yourself to get some information to share with your teen or share the channel with your teen so they can use it as a resource.

Video: How Will I Know When I’m Ready For Sex?

https://youtu.be/jCruV4KH8S0

Video: Is It Normal For First Time Sex To Hurt?

https://youtu.be/UmcVTutzLyc

Video: A Sex-Positive Take On Abstinence
https://youtu.be/oVnFR7Rxinw

E-book: Let’s Talk About Sexuality
https://learn.nadinethornhill.com/ebook

You can also find Dr. Thornhill online:

Website

https://nadinethornhill.com

YouTube Channel

https://youtube.com/c/NadineThornhill

Instagram and Twitter: @NadineThornhill

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TAGS:advice communication family mom parenting relationships teens tweens

Simone Jones Tyner

My name is Simone, and I'm addicted to sharing! On this blog, I share recipes, shopping tips, relationship and parenting advice, a joke, an opinion and just about everything in between. In between sharing, I run an integrated marketing agency where my love of details and straight lines are put to good use. But my most important job is being a wife and mother to a teenaged daughter who still seems to like me—for now anyway.