Teaching Our Kids

           I think that we all can agree that parenting is a very sacred trust given to us by our Father in Heaven. He is literally trusting us to raise His spirit children in our homes. This sacred responsibility comes with so much that I think sometimes we don’t even realize. We need to provide for our kids, we need to protect our kids from dangers, and I think most importantly, we need to teach our kids. Looking into teaching them opens up another big wormhole of what we need to teach them. We need to teach them about the gospel and all the countless blessings it will bring into their lives, we need to teach them about the difference between right and wrong, we need to teach them to share with others, we need to teach them how to recognize and deal with their emotions, and the list goes on and on. You might have noticed that I left one minor topic off of that list. Well the truth is that it really is a topic that I don’t think any parents want to have to talk about with their kids. Today I am going to talk about sex.

            It is no secret that kids are very curious about the world around them. They are always getting into things, exploring new places, and asking millions and millions of questions. Kids only want to learn, and this is the only way they know how to. It is so important that as parents we teach our kids these things before they go learn them from other, less reliable sources. I remember in grade school hearing the most ridiculous and crazy rumors about sex, but I didn’t know any different so I believed them! This is exactly why we need to have these conversations with our kids.

            We are surrounded by sex everywhere in our world today. There are magazines promoting sex, movies with graphic sex scenes, music talking about sex, and so many other things that make it impossible to escape it. When kids start to see all this, they are really going to start having questions about exactly sex is. This is where we come in. The way sex is depicted today makes it seem more like a recreational activity. We need to help them understand that this is in no way the truth. Sometimes people get it in their minds that sex is altogether bad, and a complete and total sin. It is important that we help them to understand that it is not a bad thing, but a very sacred act ordained of God.

            One thing that my dad always instilled in my brother and I was that we could talk to him, or ask him anything, and he would be there for us. He always told us that he would never judge or get mad at us for asking him something, and I knew he meant it. Now, it is easy to say this to a kid, but helping them to actually believe it is another topic altogether. It wasn’t just how often he told us this, but his actions that helped me to believe him. We need to be creating these kinds of environments in our homes as well. We need to help our kids understand that they can come to us with questions about anything, and that we won’t get mad or judge them. We will listen to their questions, and help them to better understand. We need to build this relationship early, so when some of these more awkward topics come up, they feel that they can come and talk to us about it, rather than having to go to other sources.

            We all remember getting “the talk” from our parents, and how painful that was. This also means that none of us want to have this same talk with our kids. As awkward as it may be, we owe it to them to have “the talk.” Please, don’t shy away and hope they will learn from someone else. The truth is that they will learn it from someone else, and it may be a detrimental and terrible way for them to learn it. Make sure that they learn it from you, someone that they love and trust. Make sure they understand how amazing of a gift it is, and that is should never be used outside the bounds set by our Father in Heaven.