KSL recently published a great article “Talking to teens about pornography,” where Kim Giles gives tips for having important conversations with teens about pornography.
Suppose you discover that your teenage son is viewing pornography with his friends? How do you react? Most parents would be nervous about bringing it up, thinking that the son would just deny it and get mad at you. This article provides tips on how to handle such a conversation in the right way and how to protect your son.
“First of all, don’t put it off any longer. You must start having conversations about pornography with all your school-aged children and doing it often. Studies are showing that because of smartphones, children are being exposed to pornography as early as 7 years old at school. So, it must become a topic that is addressed often with all your kids.”
“Second, don’t panic and react to this problem emotionally. When you react, you will always do so from a place of fear instead of love. It is very important (especially when dealing with your children) that your response be based in love and wisdom, not fear.”
Giles counsels, “You must choose a love-based response that keeps the focus on your child and the lesson. This response must come without judgment and make him feel loved and valued. Remember, your teen is not a bad person because he has been viewing pornorgraphy. He is a normal person who has been exposed to porn because of a very natural curiosity. What he needs is some education about why this could hurt him and his life down the road.”
The author then provides good advice on how to have a mutually-validating conversation with your teenager. Read this KSL article to learn more.
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