This summer I really wanted to do a book review for the blog. As you might imagine, I narrowed down my list of must-reads. I couldn’t wait to get started. In the end, however, I didn’t choose the book. It chose me. I’ll explain after my review. Read on. Conversations with My Kids: 30 Essential Family Discussions for the Digital Age is the latest gem from Educate Empower Kids (EEK). They’ve got a bunch of other great books and resources you should check out. But I think this is my favourite so far. It’s fun. It’s happy. And it’s something…
Learn how to create a safe place where you can talk to your kids about anything--even pornography! At Media Savvy Moms, we have 8 boys between the two of us, and at one time or another our kids have been obsessed with all things construction: trucks, videos, books, birthday parties, even a construction-truck theme park in New Jersey! When we think about difficult talks, we like to compare our “safe place” to a construction site. (This analogy actually came from Melody’s psychologist during her divorce!) This figurative “construction site” is a place where we can throw out ideas, dig…
In this episode, we'll give you 3 strategies to get "un-stuck" and start talking to your kids about pornography. Parenting is hard work, and sometimes involves difficult discussions with our kids. For most folks, pornography is at the top of the list! We may worry … What if I say the wrong thing? So instead we stay stuck on the fence. When it comes to porn, we waffle back and forth: To talk or not to talk? That is the question. In this episode we give you 3 ways to get off the fence and start talking: Related Article: Three…
Have you ever gone out for a walk, jog or bike ride only to find yourself caught in the rain? If you happen to get wet, is it a big deal? Perhaps it depends on how much rain is falling or how quickly you can find shelter. Why am I talking about the weather in a blog about pornography? [media-credit name="Unsplash" align="aligncenter" width="800"][/media-credit] The truth is, we know that any child could be exposed to pornography at any time. Frequent and sudden encounters with inappropriate content is now the rule more than the exception. How parents and kids manage their…
Let’s talk about keeping the conversation going now that school’s back in session. [media-credit name="Pixabay" link="https://pixabay.com/en/school-education-learning-converse-909381/" align="aligncenter" width="800"][/media-credit] Don’t you just love the school routine (cue eye-roll)...lunches, homework, extracurriculars? It’s go, go, go! Plus, there are all of the forms to sign! Every afternoon I see a new stack waiting for me on the kitchen table. As much as I loathe paperwork it has provided me with a natural opportunity to talk to my kids again about pornography. Believe it or not, it can for you too. To find out how watch the video below or continue reading: Creating layered…
Do you have good kids that get into mischief? All kids do! In this episode, Kayley and I talk about how to foster a relationship with our children where they can come to us about anything. Knowing home is a safe place to talk can actually help kids avoid the porn trap. It’s about keeping all lines of communication open even when kids think they’ve messed up or the subject matter feels too embarrassing to share. [media-credit name="Pixabay" link="https://pixabay.com/en/laughter-laugh-fun-mom-daughter-775062/" align="aligncenter" width="800"][/media-credit] When you consider how much curiosity drives learning, you know kids will have bumps and bruises while they’re learning to…
Related: Three Proven Concepts to Get You Off the Fence and Talking to Your Kids About Porn This post is an adaptation of one I originally wrote for Strength to Fight. A recent experience made me realize it's worth repeating. Even when we know a conversation needs to be had we often feel stuck in our tracks. I will share three proven concepts that helped me get off the fence and start talking to my own kids about the dangers of porn. Shaking my hand he said, “That was so great. Thanks for talking about this. I just know it’s so important.” This…
A few years ago I asked my children to rate (on a scale of 1 to 10) my openness in talking to them about sexual health and intimacy. One of my boys generously gave me a three! This didn’t come as any great shock. I knew I had work to do. Somehow I needed to find a way to make “the talk” occur naturally and regularly in our home. I realized that if I wanted to protect my children from negative influences in the media (pornography included) I had to become the go-to-expert on sex—at least in the eyes of…
Nothing irks parents and teachers more than when government bureaucrats and outside agencies step in and dictate exactly what, when and how children should be taught. The introduction of a new sex-education curriculum is likely to cause more agitation than any other subject. Opponents of sex-ed curriculums argue that when children are given too much information, too soon it grooms children toward deviant sexual behavior. On the other hand, supporters insist that public schools have an ethical responsibility to educate children with accurate and up-to-date information in all aspects of their health. The purpose of this article is not to…
The value of creating an Internet Safety Contract is often overlooked by many families. For starters, it's an incredibly simple way to start a discussion with children about a number of online dangers, not the least of which is pornography. The start of a new school year is an excellent time to establish and review these safety guidelines. In fact, your children have probably brought home a letter for you to sign with them, acknowledging that you both know what it means to use the technology at school appropriately. We certainly did. It was sent home on the first day…
