The Tightrope: Reflections for Busy Catholics

Principles to Make “The Talk” Less Awkward

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Many of us are familiar with “The Talk”—the extremely awkward conversation you had with your parents where they vaguely referred to birds and bees and flowers and everyone avoided eye contact.

It doesn’t have to be that way!

By rooting “The Talk” in JPII’s Theology of the Body, we can hopefully change the conversation to be less about sex, and more about the beauty of God’s plan for men and women.

  1. More than a single conversation. Don’t wait until your kid is in high school to begin talking about this. There are ways to talk about the goodness of the body and marital love in age-appropriate ways.
  2. Call it like it is. Refer to body parts by their actual name. Let them know that these things are not bad things, they are private things, deserving of respect.
  3. Reinforce that the body is a good. What we do with our bodies is how we express love. Sex is an extension of what we are and who we are. We were made for love, and union, and sex gives us the opportunity to partake in the creative power of God. That is a very good thing.
  4. Pay attention to the questions. If your kids have questions, and don’t get satisfactory answers from you, they will look elsewhere.
  5. Be aware of your own views and past experiences of sex. If you have been hurt in this area, acknowledge your brokenness and seek healing and help.
  6. Seek advice when needed. Talk to other parents about how they approach this topic. You may find support and ideas that would be helpful.
    7. ...more
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