Does the idea of talking to your child or teen about pornography make you nervous? Why do you think that is? Perhaps, simply, it’s a conversation muscle that hasn’t been used. I’ve been thinking about strength lately. And all the courageous things we do as parents that take us out of our comfort zone. What do you do when you don’t feel strong? How can you find the necessary courage and strength to talk to your kids about pornography?
One of my friends posted about an impressive (read: insane) workout she completed on New Year’s Day to mark the beginning of 2021. It was a combination of things like lunges, mountain climbers, burpees, pushups, situps, etc. to make up a mere 2000 reps. Whoa! For most of us, what my friend accomplished sounds way too hard to even attempt—almost impossible.
I wondered, what compelled her to do something like this? How did she get to a place that she could physically complete this task? And most importantly why was she so happy and excited to share her achievements?
Talk to your kids about pornography
For many parents, talking to their kids about pornography also sounds hard—almost impossible. So today we’re going to unpack the secrets to building parenting strength, and our ability to do hard things. In particular how to build strength in areas that we’re not so comfortable with.
In this episode:
- Incremental progress to start. The secret to building strong muscles is to push just beyond what feels comfortable. The same goes for parent-child communication. Be patient in the beginning. In time, you can become stronger than you ever thought possible.
- Support and motivation. Getting used to new routines and habits is easier with a specific goal in mind. Parents Aware has a NEW digital course designed to help you know WHAT to say, HOW to say it, and WHEN to talk to your child or teen about pornography. See details below.
- Look for the win! Conversations with our kids about pornography goes beyond protecting them from harm. It’s about creating a safe place to talk about things that are relevant to their day-to-day lives. It’s about building a better, stronger relationship. Now that’s something to celebrate.
Episode challenge
Write down several big challenges you’ve faced and overcome in your parenting career so far. These might be experiences unique to your family. Or things that every almost parent goes through. Once you’ve got a pretty good list, go back and circle any challenges for which friends, family, or community support helped you to find and build your own strength to carry you through.
Bonus: Decide today who could help you find the strength to talk to your kids about pornography.
Digital course COMING SOON!
Ready to start the conversation but wondering how to find the right words? Our brand new course, Get Off the Fence: Moving from stuck to confidently talking to your child or teen about pornography, is entirely customizable to your family’s needs. Sign up here to be the first to know when it is available.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a positive review or tell a friend!
Links/Resources
Ep. #2-6, Dating, LOVE, and Awkward Questions
Ep. #2-43, Dear Savvy: How do I start the conversation about porn with my kids?
PA blog post: When Parents Struggle to Talk About Porn
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