Media Savvy Moms

Have you ever had a sex talk with your kids that ended with a look of disgust? Why do we bother having these talks? Does building a foundation of healthy sexuality really help protect our kids from the harms of pornography?

We're back again … revisiting the sex talk. Do we sound like a broken record? Good! You should too. Because that's awesome parenting!

If we have to remind our kids every day to wash their hands and brush their teeth, why should talking about vital topics like sex and pornography be any different?

This is just one of the super sweet points our guest, Kayley Lynch, touched on in today's podcast. You might remember Kayley from a previous blog post — "You mean it's not a BA-jina?" (Check it out. It's one of our greatest hits!)

Last time we touched base with Kayley, she was just getting over her mama-jitters and talking to her kids about sex. A few years have passed since then. So, we thought we'd follow up and see how things were going now.

Kayley Lynch recently returned to school—on track to teach French and Canadian studies to High Schoolers. She also works part-time as an Educational Assistant and an ASL-English Interpreter. Kayley, with her husband (best friend) and four kids (crazy) live in Oshawa, Ontario. Music is their jam (piano, violin, and the bagpipes!). In her spare time, she loves cycling in the countryside, napping, and eating delicious food.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

Do you ever wonder … How can I protect my kids from pornography? Where do I even start? Does it make you hyperventilate a little? We get it. Let's break it down and make a plan.

The porn industry. It's big. It's bad. And it's coming after our kids. It's no joke. We've learned enough in recent episodes about Pornhub and sexualized media to know this. Right?

So where does that leave us? Shaking in our boots? Ready to live on a desert island with our kids with no technology? (A parent can dream … )

If we could give you a magic wand and make it all go away, we would. Gladly! We'd love to POOF all that porn right into oblivion! But nope. We can't run away. This is parenting in a media saturated world. And we got this! Go team!

It's time to sit down and make a game plan. One step at a time. Tune in to learn the 4 essential steps to protect kids from pornography.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

Moms, listen up! You know the challenges of raising kids in a media saturated world. You're constantly thinking about your kids and worrying about how they're doing online. You're concerned about filters, parental controls, making room for open communication, and creating safe places to talk. But when was the last time you stopped to think about how you're doing? Is there a chance that you've let mom guilt take over? Maybe just a little?

Okay, we know dads feel all these feelings too; but today we're focusing on mom. Emotions surrounding kids' use of devices can spiral pretty quick. Let us know if this sounds familiar: "If I were a better mom my kids would be doing exactly what I tell them to do and we wouldn't be having all these challenges." How do we know this? We've been there too!

So where do these emotions come from? Are they good? Bad? Healthy? Hurtful? … Is there a better way? Life Coach Vauna Davis says that emotions are always worth exploring. They help us understand the world we live in and what we're going through. But mom guilt, she insists, is a symptom of not putting your emotions to good use. Like building up confidence and having compassion for everyone in the family.

Tune in to the podcast because we're going to learn how to get emotions and feelings working on our side. Yayyy! Go Mom!

Vauna Davis is a life coach with a passion project - helping people live free from the impact of pornography. She is founder and director of Reach 10, a nonprofit helping young adults talk more openly about pornography; chair of The Safeguard Alliance of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation; and former director of Utah Coalition Against Pornography. In her life coaching practice, Midlife Confidence Coach, she helps women love their next stage of life. Vauna lives with her husband, Michael, in Springville, Utah.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

In our crazy digital world, we know it's not a matter of IF our kids will see porn—it's a matter of WHEN. But what then? After exposure, will they go back? How do we know if they are struggling with an addiction?

As parents, we just want to keep our kids safe. That's the goal. But in order to protect our kids from the harms of pornography, we need to understand what we're dealing with. For instance, what's the difference between accidental exposure, a habit, and addiction? What qualifies as an "addiction," and can we really use that word when it comes to children and teens?

Paul Lavergne, a Registered Psychotherapist and Certified Sexual Recovery Therapist, is here on the podcast to help us sort through these complicated questions, and give us answers, resources and peace of mind.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

Young or old, our kids need to know: When it comes to my body, I AM IN CHARGE, and there are lines no one can cross without my permission! But how do we get that into their heads?

When we teach our kids about body safety, we're helping to protect them from a host of dangers—from predators and sharing nudes to unwanted sexual attention and date rape.

But how do we instill this knowledge without scaring them to death?

Think of it this way. Rather than painting a picture of the big scary world and encouraging our kids to cower in a corner, we can put a cape of confidence around them and teach them to trust their powers of self-awareness.

So, let's talk about WHY, WHEN, and HOW we empower kids and teens with protective information.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

Do you ever get the feeling that society views kids as troublemakers, and parents as the good guys? We need to be careful about stereotypes—and mindful of where we point fingers. A better approach is to consider how to establish a strong foundation that can help kids make great decisions now and in the future.

Yes, part of being a kid is to test the waters, to experiment, and to try new things. As we've said before, curiosity is what drives learning. But the truth is, there are tons of great kids out there. And they're all looking for answers on how to navigate every aspect of life. They need—and crave!—guidance from parents and mentors who genuinely care about their health and well-being.

Digital devices tend to amplify our fears about teen attitude and risky behavior. No doubt! There are plenty of online dangers to be found. Never mind that the tech itself is inherently addictive. Left to navigate the crazy digital world on their own, will kids be ready?

Our guest, Brett Ullman, author of the book, Parenting: Navigating Everything, explains how you can connect with your kids, establish a strong relational foundation, and give them skills they need to thrive online and off.

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Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete podcast notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.

We're one month into the COVID-19 crisis. Working from home, schooling from home, social distancing, sheltering-in-place. Going stir crazy. How's everyone doing? Want a tool to help?

All of life's challenges are now packed into a tiny box (our homes) full of emotions, work, school, and whatever else your family happens to have in the mix.

On Day 1, everyone and their dog had a plan, with pretty lists all in a row. But by week's end all those plans were in the dust-bin, and we were huddled in a corner watching Netflix and binging on chocolate ice cream. But now we're in for the long haul. So we should probably find a plan that fits somewhere in between. Right?

Tune in for a chat about what's REALLY going on and some tips on how to support our families through these challenging times.

Plus ...

Find out how to download your FREE **KIDS-AT-HOME SURVIVAL GUIDE** & Screen Safety Plan.

[For complete show notes visit ParentsAware.info]

For years Pornhub, the world's largest porn site, has marketed themselves as just another household name—as basic as breakfast cereal, as constant as the daily news. However, a single petition to shut down Pornhub is blowing the whistle. Today, we're talking to the woman behind the movement.

Recent investigative reports have uncovered what many have long suspected: Pornhub profits from the commercial sex trafficking of minors. Meanwhile, they hide behind third-party immunity, claiming they are "not responsible" for the content uploaded to their site. And so far they've gotten away with it.

Lucky for us, we have a powerhouse on our side. Laila Mickelwait, director of abolition for Exodus Cry, has been working to combat sexual exploitation and sex trafficking for over a decade. Her research keeps bringing her back to the connection between trafficking and pornography.

It didn't take much to find Pornhub at the center of all this exploitation. Laila is particularly concerned with the minimal efforts taken to verify age and consent of those appearing in materials uploaded to the site. That is exactly what inspired her to start a petition to shut down the site--a petition that now has more than a half a million signatures, and more every day.

We can't always take immediate action to help fix a monstrous issue like this. But today we can. Today's challenge will take less than five minutes, and it WILL make a difference. Sign the petition to shut down Pornhub at traffickinghub.com. Then share the link with a friend and ask them to sign too.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, please leave a positive review or tell a friend!

Laila Mickelwait is the Director of Abolition for Exodus Cry. She has a Master of Public Diplomacy degree from the Annenberg School of Communications and the Dornsife School of International Relations at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State. Laila has been working in the anti-trafficking field for over a decade, including time at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland with the World Federation of United Nations Associations Millennium Project. Laila's writing and speaking have been published in outlets such as The New York Post, The Washington Examiner, BBC News, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Christian Post and others.

Follow Laila on Twitter @LailaMickelwait and Instagram @lailamickelwait

Traffickinghub Website

Exodus Cry Website

[For complete show notes visit ParentsAware.info]

What is the most important message you want your daughter to hear from you about sex? Such a great question! We wish we had come up with it. But truly, it's from Dina Alexander of Educate Empower Kids. Lucky us, she's back on the podcast! This time helping us take sex talks for daughters a step beyond periods and puberty.

We don't have to tell you that the media isn't very kind when it comes to women. From movies and magazines to social media and porn, women and girls are airbrushed and photoshopped, exploited, objectified, and generally made to feel like they are just not enough … or just enough to satisfy the male gaze.

We claim to be an enlightened society, where women are respected and heard. And yet the same old dangerous sexual stereotypes repeatedly surface. Think about that. While we're telling our girls that they can grow up to be anything they want—POWER TO THE PERIOD!—women are continually portrayed as sex objects on social media and in film and print. Is it surprising then that these scripts find their way into first kisses, dating, and eventual sexual relationships?

Hmmm, looks like we have some work ahead of us.

Dina Alexander, MS, is the founder and CEO of Educate and Empower Kids. She is the creator of How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography and the 30 Days of Sex Talks and 30 Days to a Stronger Child programs. It is her life's work to help parents, teachers and community leaders raise strong, healthy kids who use technology for good in this new digital age.

Books from Educate and Empower Kids

Talking With Our Daughters About Masturbation

[For complete show notes visit ParentsAware.info]

Ready or not, COVID-19 is turning our lives upside-down. And parenting during social isolation? The struggle is real! How are we going to keep our kids safe, happy, and healthy—and still maintain our sanity?

Sudden school closures all over North America have put many parents into a tail-spin. And that was just the beginning. As the days stretch on, regulations are getting more strict, It's becoming clear that social distancing isn't going to end anytime soon.

In addition to school, many of our families have lost access to health clubs, churches, team sports, libraries, music lessons, scouts, and a whole host of structured activities that keep us busy, productive, and allow us to interact with other human beings. What are we going to do now that those options are out of the picture?

After just a few days of being stuck in the house, with no one else to interact with but each other does anyone else feel like their head might explode? We have a lonnnng way to go yet!

Have no fear! We're here to help! And we've come with an expert in tow: Greta Eskridge, a home educator who specializes in helping families find deeper connections. Plus, she fights pornography! Now that's our kind of lady.

We had so much fun talking with Greta. She has FABULOUS advice and tips to keep kids engaged in quality activities during this challenging time! Best of all, these are tips we can use anytime kids are at home, not just during a crisis. Get ready to be inspired!

[For complete show notes visit ParentsAware.info]