Protecting Young Kids From Porn: A Resource

When do your kids get the birds and the bees talk?

 

The timing of teaching kids about human reproduction and sexuality is a private, sensitive decision for parents. The on-set of puberty is a popular time, though some parents choose to prepare their kids a few years ahead of time.

 

Either way, porn won’t wait quietly for your kids to have The Talk. The average age of initial exposure to pornography is eleven years old. Sexual themes are used to openly advertise products of every kind on television, billboards, and product packaging, and magazine covers. Kids will be exposed to messages about sexuality far before puberty. How can parents prepare them to process sexual elements without compromising their innocence?

 

Protect Young Minds is an online resource specifically tailored to talking to children about pornography and other sexualized content. Full of plans, guides, and scripts, this is a place for parents who love principle-based advice WITH concrete suggestions and examples.

 

For example, what should kids do when they encounter pornography?

 

“My Can DO Plan

C- Close my eyes

A- Always tell a trusted adult

N- Name it when I see it

D- Distract myself

O- Order my thinking brain to be the boss!”

 

Charming, memorable, and appropriate for any age!

 

Another excerpt from the Protect Young Minds blog. This post is titled “Kids Staring At Cleavage? A Sex Addiction Therapist Gives Parents Advice” and you can read it in full here.

 

“So, what exactly could a parent say to a child staring at cleavage on a magazine cover at the grocery store? Here are a few ideas:

“That picture is showing too much of this woman’s breasts. Those are her private parts. Let’s look away and give her the same respect and privacy that we would give to mom [or your sister or aunt].”

Or you could say something like this:

“I can see you are staring at that woman on the magazine cover. It’s normal to be curious about these kinds of pictures. Do you remember that a woman’s breasts are a private area of her body? The people who make that magazine put that woman’s picture on the cover because they want us to look at their magazine.”

Here a parent could turn the magazine over so the picture no longer is showing.”

 

We recommend that all parents check out Protect Young Minds at protectyoungminds.org!

 

 

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