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Parent Issues
Sex and sexuality are a discovery process. For each of us there are bound to be a few awkward, embarrassing or difficult moments along the way.
There are no "right" or "wrong" ways to respond to the hypothetical situations below, but it might help to put yourself in this situation and think "what would I do in this situation?"
Situation #1
You pick up your teenage son's jacket which he threw in the middle of the floor as he rushed upstairs. A condom falls out. Your son has his first serious girlfriend and they have been spending a lot of time alone together.
Situation #2
You hear a lot of giggling coming from your child's bedroon. Your 4 year old is playing with her best friend Peter who is 5 years old. The door is partly open. When you look in you see that they have taken their clothes off and are examining each other, including touching each other's genitals. They don't see you.
Situation #3
You are looking for something in your son's room that he borrowed from you. You open a drawer and discover a magazine with pictures of naked women.
Situation #4
You are about to enter the room where your 14 year old son and his friends are "hanging out". They are grouped around the computer and you catch a glimpse of a naked couple on the screen and you realize that they are watching a pornography site. The guys are laughing and joking and making sexual comments.
Situation #5
You realize that your child often is rubbing his or her genitals while they are watching television or being read to. Sometimes they are rubbing themself even when other people are around.
Situation #6
You are in the bath tub when your 5 year old rushes in because he has bumped his knee. After he has calmed down, he reaches over and grabs your breast and says "Look at your big boobies".
Situation #7
Your 4 year old daugher loves to take her clothes off when she goes in the backyard wading pool on a hot summer day, The yard is enclosed and you are comfortable letting her do this. You are in the back yard today. Your mother is going to drop in sometime this afternoon and you know that she feels strongly that children should never run around without clothes on.
Situation #8
Your 6 year old daughter tells you that her friend Susie is stupid because she said that daddies put their penis into mommies to make babies. Your daughter says "She's lying. That's disgusting."
Situation #9
You realize your 16 year old daughter does not seem to have used any of the menstrual pads or tampons for the past month or two. She has always used the supply in the cupboard since she started to menstruate four years ago and, for the last few years, her period appeared to be regular. She has a 17 year old boyfriend and they spend a lot of time alone together "studying" at his place. Now you wonder if she might be pregnant.
Situation #10
Your 15 year old daughter has her first serious boyfriend. He is 25 years of age. You don't know much about him because he never comes to your home. She says he is a wonderful guy who understands her. You know that your daughter is a romantic person and you sometimes worry about her judgment of people.
Last Modified: September 5, 2006
