by Tracee Sioux
I just read Third Base Ain't What It Used to Be: What Your Kids Are Learning About Sex Today- and How to Teach Them toBecome Sexually Healthy Adults
This book covered every single aspect of sexuality that might come up with your kids.
I was shocked virtually the whole time I was reading it. Not so much by the content, as by witnessing my own emotional responses to the content in connection with my daughter. Truthfully, reading it was not a pleasant one for me. It brought up issues.
That said I thought it was a very wise. Levkoff points out that if we, as parents, aren't talking about sex with our kids we'll be the only influence in their lives not putting in our two cents.
Which is extremely dangerous for our kids as all the other influences are promoting a very unhealthy sexuality.
Sex is everywhere. But, not really the good kind. It doesn't take a genius to realize that our kids are exposed to blatant, inappropriate sexuality with negative messages and connotations multiple times a day - and that's just during the commercials.
If there is any hope for daughters at all parents should be talking as openly and honestly as possible.
This, I believe with all my heart, in a cerebral kind of way.
In reality when my daughter asks me a question concerning sex I feel as though my conservative parents have temporarily inhabited my body to the point that I hear my own mother's voice come out of my mouth, "where did you hear that?" with a hysterical accusatory urgency.
Okay, I don't actually say that, but it is my first irrational instinct.
The truth is that I don't feel my own sexuality is a healthy one. It's more of a reaction to the oppressive anti-sexuality of conservative religion mingled with rebellion, an intellectual political response, a teaspoon of good old fashioned Christian guilt, a lifetime of hormonal biology, more than a few mistakes and regrets, influenced by hyper-sexual contemporary culture that becomes increasingly offensive to me, with some violent and abusive sexual trauma thrown in, mingled with a good dose of busy maternal exhaustion. The combination of which doesn't leave me feeling very equipped to pass on a healthy sexuality to my children.
That said, reading Third Base Ain't What It Used to Be: What Your Kids Are Learning About Sex Today- and How to Teach Them toBecome Sexually Healthy Adults
I want my kids to come to me. I want them to trust me. I want them to believe me to be more of an expert than the other kids on the bus. I want them to look to me for sound advice.
Except that I don't ever want to talk about it again. In fact, I don't want them to ever know some of the sexual stuff they'll be exposed to even exists. See that? It's gonna take a healthy dose of courage to have conversations with my kids about sex and sexuality, after reading the book I feel better armed with adequate information.
Sexy
9 comments:
What's funny is that I feel really comfortable talking about bodily functions, sex, periods, how babies are born, etc... with my boys, but it's my husband who blushes and changes the subject.
In his family NO ONE talks about ANYTHING that goes on behind closed doors. His mom winces when I ask "does the baby have a poop diaper?" She prefers the initials "B.M." "Fart" is as offensive a word as f--k, and as far as their kids were concerned the stork dropped off all four on the doorstep (fully clothed of course.)
I'm so glad times have changed. If you know about your body and how things work, you are gonna be far less likely to to suffer obvious consequences. Just throwing kids out without education is like putting a 12 year old in the seat of a three story wrecking ball crane and saying "I need you to get across the city without hitting anything."
~Jen
Good analogy.
It's funny that we instinctually go with what our parents did - even if it wasn't effective.
My hubby recently said doesn't think I should say vagina, vulva or penis in front of the children because "they just don't need to know those words."
Uh, That's what they're called! His family was even more closed lipped than mine was.
Though, I was recently shocked when his mother said, "if a kid is asking they are ready to know." Ainsley was only 4 at the time. Maybe her kids never asked? I don't know.
I'll have to look for that book (or can I borrow it?)
sure thing.
Does the book deal with sex as more than just procreation? E.g. sex for pleasure, masturbation, between gays or between lesbians?
Just curious before I check it out.
Katrina this book covers literally everything. I was surprised by the vastness of information.
It discusses homosexuality, the difference between transexuals and transvestites. The AIDS epidimic - how you can get it and how you can prevent it. Sexually transmitted diseases. What they are and how to prevent them.
Mean girl behavior, modernday technology risks, pornography, masterbation.
Oral sex, dental dams, home-made dental dams, how to use a condom, what kind of condom to use.
Vaccines, birth control.
The knowledge and awareness of kids today. Where they are getting information and how to filter it appropriately for them.
This is not a book for children.
This is a book for adults, to help you better talk to your children.
This is also politically, NOT an abstinence-only book.
This is a book that encourages informed responsiblity.
It also deals with talking to your kids about expecting respect from their sexual partners.
Thanks, Tracee! I will check it out.
Another book I have out from the library but haven't opened yet was recommended highly by friends and sounds similar to this one:
Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex But Were Afraid They'd Ask.
no problem Katrina - The one you recommend sounds good. I'll check it out sometime.
Great bloog post
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