There are plenty of things that parents worry about when it comes to their children. Illnesses, academics, and their general well-being are usually at the top of the list. However, there is another issue that parent’s often worry about and that’s their child’s romantic life. As parent’s, we hope to give our children proper advice before they become of age, but it’s often difficult to even know where to start, or how to start. But there are a few ways to go about having “the talk” with your teen or teens in order to ensure that they are well informed about sex and healthy relationships.
Ask Questions
When it comes to having the talk, it’s as important to ask questions as it is to give advice. Teens can be confused about relationships and intimacy but don’t often know where to start. Because of this, it’s important to ask them questions so that every concern is covered. Questions like “is there anything you want to know?” or “what’s on your mind?” More often than not, it is crucial to steer clear of questions that only answer your concerns. Questions like “are you sexually active?” may lead your teen to become defensive and wall you out. This situation is best to be avoided as the primary purpose of the talk is to make sure your teens are well informed so they can make wise decisions.
Listen
Another Key ingredient to having the talk with your teen is to listen. Not, to judge or interject, but merely to listen. Often, listening can be an effective way to communicate in its own right. It helps them to know that you are giving your undivided attention without judging or being condescending. In those moments, they may speak to you as another human being rather than their parent. This is a good thing, as they’ll be more open to communicating and all of your concerns may be answered. Also, if you were to interject, they might become apprehensive and cut the conversation short.
Be Honest
They say honesty is the best policy, and in this case it is. At times, you may want to keep your teen safe by not providing them with the complete truth, but it’s better to be honest with them. Dishonesty however, may cause them to be reluctant in speaking with you and also cause a strain in your relationship. In being completely honest you’ll be able to provide them with wholesome advice they can utilize to make decisions. Not only that, but your teen will be more likely to trust you and come to you for guidance.
Inform
The information you give to your teen plays a crucial role in their future decisions. It would be helpful to make sure all bases are covered when it comes to sex and relationships. The topics covered usually deal with sex and STD’s rather than including the fundamentals of relationships too. It is just as important for your teen to know the basics about romantic relationships as it is to know about sex. They should be informed about the difference between a healthy relation and an unhealthy one. This ensures that no matter what decisions your teen makes in regards to sex, they’ll be able to at least be in a relationship that doesn’t cause them harm. This leads us to our next topic for concern and that’s abuse. It would serve you well to let your teen know about common signs of abuse and common forms of abuse. Both physical and mental abuse are equally damaging and it would help them to know the ways in which they occur. They should also know how to choose a partner based on their character traits rather than superficial qualities: traits like respectfulness, communicability, and balance are just to name a few. This way, they can base their decisions on rationality or logic.
Author Bio: Paige Jirsa– I work with https://stdtestingfacilities.com/, which provides users same day STD testing in a discrete and proficient manner.
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