Say Bye-Bye to the Big Talk

The American Academy of Pediatrics has published another study that I found exciting. (I wrote about the last one on my other blog, here.) This study, by Steven C. Martino et al, surveyed adolescents and their parents, regarding both the frequency of ’sex talks’ and the breadth of topics discussed in those talks. The results (again) prove what we already know:

• that parents should have many little talks about sex with their kids, as opposed to one “Big Talk,” and
• kids whose parents talked more frequently about sex with them rated their parent-child communication about sex higher, and
• kids whose parents talk with them about sex more frequently rated their non-sex-related communication higher
• adolescents whose parents discussed a greater breadth of topics (related to sex) perceived their parents as more “open.” (I like the term “askable.”)

So if you were looking for one more reason to begin talking–today!–with your child about sex, here it is.

If you'd like to read more, here is the URL to the original publication. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/121/3/e612

Finally, thanks to “On Parenting” for letting me know about this study.