fbpx

Living a Brave Life

Before a consenting adult can begin to thrive in a holistic sexual relationship they must first understand each area of personal sexuality for themselves.  Articles for Consenting Adults focus on more mature topics.  

Read Time: 3 mins

How to give young people the tools they need to know they have a purpose.  

  • Vocabulary: Gonads
    • Many people think that this is slang for testicles, but in fact, it is a medical term that described the part of the female and male anatomy that create and release sex cells.  Gonads = Ovaries & Testicles. 
  • Vocabulary: Gamete
    • Both male & female gonads create gametes.  Male & female gametes are different. The male gamete, or sperm, and the female gamete, the egg or ovum, meet in the female's reproductive system.  The male gamete’s nucleus contains X or Y chromosome. The female gamete’s nucleus contains an X chromosome.

During intercourse, millions of sperm will leave the penis and enter into the vagina.  Some of those sperm will make the journey through the cervix and into the uterus with the hopes of making it to the fallopian tube that has an egg.   

Explaining how this all happens is a little confusing to some young people.  There is an assumption that if you are getting into the nitty-gritty like this you have already explained the internal reproductive anatomy. 

Woman not wanting to listen while in bed
Trending

Read Time: 4 mins

Helping your young person find their inner voice. 

It may sound crazy but the last thing that you want to hear resonating in your ears when you're having sex is your mother's voice or your father's voice or the voice of the caretaker that taught you about sex.

If you approach your young person’s education on sex as:

  1. Well, you can't do it until you're married. Abstinence is the only way. 
  2. Well, I got through it just fine they'll figure it out too. 
  3. They are way too young to be thinking about this… (FYI: This really means you aren’t ready to think about it)

Then you are leaving a lot up to chance for your young person.

 

When your young person is finally ready for sex you don't want the only voice that they can hear be yours.  

But you may be thinking… ‘Ah, Yes I Do!’

Value Based Sex Ed

Read Time: 5 mins

Do Less While Doing More.

When we think about how to schedule our kids we often think to ourselves they need to be well-rounded adults. To do this we make sure they're involved in as many activities as we can cram into their schedules. 

As they get older we need to realize that when they do too much outside of the home their ability to connect with their families starts to break down. Take it from me I'm a single mom who works full-time and also has a blossoming side career. 

I need to find ways to connect with my daughter on a daily basis to make sure she knows that I'm here for her and I want us to communicate. Sometimes it's hard for caregivers to say no. 

For a moment try to think about what we're teaching our young people.  Make a list of the 10 things that you want your young person to know in life. 

We start teaching from the very beginning and say no when it's appropriate.  That might mean saying ‘No, you can't play video games, you need to make dinner with me.” It might mean saying ‘No you can't do a sport and be in the school play and continue to play your violin.” Setting boundaries starts at a young age and continues through adolescence. 

Washing machine for teen clothes
Editor's Choice

Read Time: 3 mins

Let's talk about laundry: whether you're the caretaker of a boy or a girl this is a thing.

This is something that you're going to want to make sure they can do when they are about 7 to 8 years old. 

‘Why so young?’ you think.

Well, when puberty starts and there are bedsheet messes or crusty pajamas; there are stained undies that really need a cold water wash. 

You want your kid to feel empowered enough to take care of it themselves. 

Read Time: 1 min

Opening lines of communication is the easiest way to give your young person the self-confidence to ask the questions on their mind.  

Opening Advice: If they have the question try not to say things like “You aren’t old enough to know” 

These types of responses can veil sexuality as something mysterious and shameful.

If you are not ready to handle the question know how to respectfully delay. 

 *Content Note: I love “Planned Parenthood’s Let’s Be Honest Strategy” for answering questions for young people. Link

 

Talking About Difficult Topics

Remember you want to be warm and open.  If you are embarrassed that’s okay. Think about what amount of information that you are prepared to give in that moment.