The Mum Momma (Teaching Our Kids about Sex While Protecting Them Too, Part 1)

We were walking hand in-hand through Wal-Mart somewhere between the women’s section and the men’s department. Suddenly my seven year old yanked on my hand, pulling me in the opposite direction, covering his eyes with his other hand. “Don’t make me see that.”

I looked around. “See what?” I asked. I didn't see anything unusual.  

“That.” He pointed in the direction of the negligees, bras and panties, while keeping his hand over his eyes, continuing to lead me in the other direction.

I honestly can’t remember how I responded, but I do remember feeling sad for him. He was trying to protect his childhood. And the intimate department at Wal-Mart was intruding on his innocence.

Photograhpy by Christy Mae, Used by permission, Copyright 2013

A child’s innocence. Nothing more precious. Nothing more vulnerable. Sacred. Our culture snatches it away far too early. You can’t go to the mall, the grocery store, or even Wal-Mart without encountering sexual images on display.

What’s a parent to do?

We can’t keep them home. We can’t continually block their view. And they won't cover their eyes forever.

How do we engage the culture, but protect them from it?

We teach sexuality. Sorry, I know it’s not the answer you wanted. This momma would prefer to remain mum on the issue too. But the experts tell us silence is the worst thing we can do.

So join me over the next several weeks as I attempt to make this job easier for you. I’ll read the wisdom of experts, and I’ll share little things you can do to teach your children about the birds and the bees. Okay, I’ll stop with the nonsense jargon. We’ll talk about teaching our kids about sex. There, I wrote it. It’s in black and white. No turning back now. We’re diving in, parents.

And here’s a promise. I’ll keep my posts short and practical.

See ya next week on Tamar's Redemption Thursdays: Parenting with Purpose, Parenting without Paranoia.

Teaching our kids about sex not only helps them navigate a sex saturated culture, it helps protect them from sexual abuse.