Talk Soon Talk Often book 2014 FLIP
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3. MILESTONES: What to Expect at<br />
Different Ages and Stages<br />
It is more common to hear parents swapping stories<br />
about children’s first teeth and first steps than it is to<br />
hear them discussing a child’s sexual development.<br />
Be prepared: What are the values I want to share with my child?<br />
If you are a parent or carer it can be useful to spend some time thinking<br />
about what is important to you and how you might want to respond if these<br />
values are challenged. Use the following questions to start a discussion with<br />
your partner or other important adults in your child’s life to get a sense of the<br />
degree to which your ideas are the same and what you might do. If you have<br />
sole care of your child it is useful to think about some of these situations in<br />
advance.<br />
And when you have kids you assume<br />
that you’re immediately going to know<br />
what your values are. But it becomes<br />
a lot greyer as you go along. And also,<br />
because we’re so time poor, I don’t think<br />
you sit and really assess what your values<br />
are and then it all creeps up on you.<br />
- Parent of 14 year old and 16 year old<br />
daughters<br />
12<br />
1.<br />
2.<br />
3.<br />
Your 5 year old sees two people having sex on television and asks you<br />
what they are doing. How much do you want to tell them?<br />
Your 14 year old has a new boyfriend who is 16.You are concerned that it<br />
might be getting a bit ‘hot and heavy’. Should you interfere?<br />
You have been brought up very strictly and have taught your children a<br />
strong moral framework about sex, which you believe should be kept for<br />
after marriage.You fi nd a packet of condoms in your 17 year old son’s<br />
jeans pocket. How do you deal with this?