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For Parents of Teens and Preteens

“My Daughter Can’t Date ’til She’s 40”

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Have you ever heard anyone say that? Or maybe said it yourself? When I’ve heard the expression, it’s always been from the father of a young girl. He sometimes adds, “I know how teenage boys are—I used to be one.” It’s a joke, but only sort of. The father’s motivation, of course, is protective. He […]

Feeling “Meh” About Sex Tonight? Your Relationship Status Matters

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If the person next to you wants to have sex tonight and you’re not sure whether you’re in the mood, should you do it? It depends on who the person next to you is. Suppose the person who’s looking for action is someone you don’t know well or who just wants casual sex. If you […]

What to Teach Your Daughter about her “Girl Parts”

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Little kids notice early that boys and girls are different under their underwear. Boys’ genitals are more obvious than girls’ and seem to get talked about more openly. Female genitalia are more hidden—with the odd result that girls, even today, often don’t know their own bodies. Starting when kids are young (toddlers, even), parents can […]

Why That Hottie Might Not Be the Best Date

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What kind of person would you like to date? You probably have a list of things you’re looking for—and one quality you want is “attractive.” Because, well, we’re attracted to attractive people; there’s something about their physical appeal that pulls us in. It’s natural to be drawn toward beauty/handsomeness/sexiness. Who wouldn’t want that in a […]

TalkStarter for Teens & Preteens: Sex That Sells

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Have you ever stopped to think about how many ads use sex to sell a product? So many do that we can become numb to them. But if you stop to notice, you’ll see attractive people, mostly women, in advertising for every imaginable product. Many of these women are wearing tight, skimpy clothes and often […]

Can’t I Wait a Couple Years to Tell My Kid About Sex?

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Let’s face it: Talking with your kids about sexuality can be awkward. So it’s natural to want to put it off a bit, because, you know, they’re still young, and maybe they’re not mature enough to understand, and I want to keep them innocent, and the school will cover it soon enough, and my parents […]

How Sexting Can Go Wrong

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With phone cameras constantly in the hands of every teen (and many pre-teens), zillions of selfies get taken and shared. Most of them are harmless. Some are flirtatious. And some are sexually explicit “sexts”–and that can be trouble. The following story was told to me by Scott Driscoll, a 20+-year former law enforcement officer specializing […]