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Reader: My son and daughter are twins and are in their first year in high school. The environment is obviously different, with raging hormones. What conversation can I have with them to help them transition into this new phase without scaring them? I just want them to make good and healthy decisions and understand the importance of consent.
Jade: Kudos to you for being proactive rather than reactive. I wish more parents were open to conversations about sex. Your teens need to know and feel that they can talk to you about sex at any time. Use the anatomically correct terms for body parts. Be honest.
ex is pleasurable. Masturbation in the privacy of your own room is normal. Sex encompasses the emotional capacity of an individual. While you may hope that they wait to engage in sex, you can’t control their decision. T
alking to your children early on about sex has proved to result in their abstinence until later on in life. Teenagers need to know how to navigate relationships, with an emphasis on healthy relationships. Another must-know is birth control and sexually transmitted infections.
They must know that consent requires the agreement of both parties involved in the act.
Children do not have the capacity to make adult decisions. Sex with a minor is statutory rape, a criminal offence.
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