More about imparting bite sized portions of knowledge:
Art Linkletter would have had a ball if he'd ever interviewed my crew!
One evening, my eleven (or twelve) year old and I are sitting side by side on our couch watching a prime time soap when a steamy bedroom scene catches fire. As the main characters tumble back and forth, over and under each other, the TV screen heats up with innuendo of whatever's going on beneath the sheets—lots of bouncing, up and down, moaning and groaning under jumbled covers, which hide everything from view except for the lip lock that's plain to see. Unexpectedly, my child turns to me and declares: You and Dad don't do that!
Grinning, I ask: How do you know what we do?
With utter innocence my child responds: I've never see you do that.
At this, I point to the TV and ask as simply as you please: Well ... do you see any kids in the room, watching them?
Once my child's dropped-jaw shock stops stunning his brain, I engage his readiness in a brief discussion concerning adult sexuality, privacy, knocking on closed doors, waiting for permission to come in ... and whatever else comes to mind—within reason—meaning that I leave hormones, passion and self-control for another day—knowing that each time innocence demonstrates readiness to absorb knowledge, my children's comments and questions will open the door to explore discussions concerning intimacy at deeper levels of comprehension than before. And as I want to be the person with whom my children seek clarification concerning the topic of sexuality, I'll end today's post with this question:
Art Linkletter would have had a ball if he'd ever interviewed my crew!
One evening, my eleven (or twelve) year old and I are sitting side by side on our couch watching a prime time soap when a steamy bedroom scene catches fire. As the main characters tumble back and forth, over and under each other, the TV screen heats up with innuendo of whatever's going on beneath the sheets—lots of bouncing, up and down, moaning and groaning under jumbled covers, which hide everything from view except for the lip lock that's plain to see. Unexpectedly, my child turns to me and declares: You and Dad don't do that!
Grinning, I ask: How do you know what we do?
With utter innocence my child responds: I've never see you do that.
At this, I point to the TV and ask as simply as you please: Well ... do you see any kids in the room, watching them?
Once my child's dropped-jaw shock stops stunning his brain, I engage his readiness in a brief discussion concerning adult sexuality, privacy, knocking on closed doors, waiting for permission to come in ... and whatever else comes to mind—within reason—meaning that I leave hormones, passion and self-control for another day—knowing that each time innocence demonstrates readiness to absorb knowledge, my children's comments and questions will open the door to explore discussions concerning intimacy at deeper levels of comprehension than before. And as I want to be the person with whom my children seek clarification concerning the topic of sexuality, I'll end today's post with this question:
If attitude is everything then when a child demonstrates an open sense of readiness to listen, absorb information and ask questions concerning intimacy, doth thee respond with discomfort or ease? if you respond with ease, so will they. Respond with embarrassment or dismissal, and they'll get their information or more likely, misinformation, elsewhere ... like amongst their peers ...
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