| "My 10 year old son asks me about “Viagra.” He sees the T.V. ads and wants to know what it is. I don’t know what to say, so I have been changing the subject. Please advise what is the best way to deal with this?" |
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| "What kind of advice do I give my 18 year old son? His girlfriend is 15 and pregnant and will be giving birth early in the spring. He is finishing 11th grade and she is in 9th grade. " |
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| "My daughter, 14, just graduated eighth grade. We were told that throughout the school year our child had become emotional and distraught on several occasions while at school. About a month ago we were called into school on an emergency basis and were advised that our daughter revealed to a teacher, her advisor, and the school psychologist that she was sexually assaulted in the fall of 2007. " |
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| "I myself am a teen, I'm 14. I have done some things that my parents would probably not agree with. Now I feel guilty because they told me that I was too young for it but I feel that I'm ready." |
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| "My husband and I have full custody of our 8 year old step-son, who has just asked where babies come from... he was born as a result of a brief sexual encounter and we're struggling with how to structure that aspect of the conversation." |
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| "Can the doctor tell me if my daughter is having sex?" |
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| "I have a 16-year-old son who has found a girlfriend on the internet. We live in Arizona, she is in the UK. He talks to her on the computer non stop — wakes up 3-4 a.m. before school, and as soon as he gets home, he uses every opportunity to be on the computer. I fear his grades will suffer. Any suggestions on what, if anything, I could do would be appreciated." |
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| "My son is 13 and I found some porn sites in his computer. How do I address the issue without embarrassing him? I want him to know that I can understand this phase and that he can ask me any questions." |
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| "My sister and my best female friend, who is married with four children, recently revealed a year long affair. Aside from my own feelings … I am having trouble finding a way to talk to my children about a) the breakup of the marriage b) my sister being gay and c) the 'new family.' While I am now (after a long process) totally fine and realize they are SO happy, I am struggling with words to bring this new kind of family into ours. Unfortunately we are not in a community that exposes us to all kinds of families … feeling sheltered and confused …" |
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| "I have a 9 year old son who has his share of learning disabilities. Nothing too severe but he has IEP and basically things in life are black or white — no gray. He isn't on asperger's but has a few characteristics, basically PPD NOS is his diagnosis. What and when is the best way to approach the topic of sex with him?" |
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| "My daughter is 15 and told me that she and her boyfriend are not sexually active. I believed her at the time, but now she is asking if she can spend the night at his house. ..." |
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| "My daughter told me that she and her boyfriend have decided that they are ready to have sex. She asked me if I would make a doctor's appointment so that she can get birth control pills. We had a long talk about all that will change with this new decision" |
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| "My young daughter just told me she's started having sex. What should I do?" |
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| "My son has been dating the same girl for about a year, and I know that their relationship has been getting more serious. It really scares me as a parent, to know that they may have been intimate...." |
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| "My daughter asked me if I had sex before I was married. Should I tell her the truth?" |
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| "My 8 year old came to me and wanted to know what it means to have sex. I froze and didn't know what to say. I told her we would talk later. What do I tell her?" |
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| "My 12-year-old son asked me what it means to be gay. I'm totally at a loss. What should I say?" |
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| "Is it "OK" for 8 year olds to touch each others genitals? They are very good friends and I think are being curious about each other's bodies. At what age are young children emotionally ready for genital touching — without a romantic relationship — a friendship? Are there "ages" at which different sexual behaviors are appropriate? My daughter and I have talked a lot about sexuality. I look forward to your thoughts." |
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| "My sixteen year old son has admitted to having sex with his girlfriend. His father and I have tried to ensure that they are protected by providing them with condoms and information about pregnancy. She is supposedly on the pill also. My question is — what now? We don't agree that they should be sexually active, but we are not naive about teenagers. Do we allow them to be alone in the house or in his room? How do we continue to let him know that we don't agree with what they are doing but that we are here for them if they need us and keep the lines of communication open?" |
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| "I just found condoms in my 15 year old daughter's drawer. I was looking for something — not snooping. She continuously tells me she is not sexually active but what should I do?" |
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| "My 13 year old son is very private and doesn't like to talk about his body or his sexuality. Recently I over heard a phone conversation between him and his 13 year old girlfriend that was disturbing. They were having a very adult like conversation about sex, oral sex and their bodies. I am unsure on how to deal with the conversation I overheard. I want to bring the subject up without breaking trust. My son already is a private person and doesn't open up in conversations. I've unplugged the phone line to stop the excess time spent on the phone. How do I handle this situation effectively?" |
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| "My son is four years old and enjoys laying on the floor with his hands on his genitals and rubbing. What should I do? " |
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| "When is the right time to start talking to my child about sex? I have a boy who just turned nine. We are open to discussing sex with him, but are uncertain about when the right time/age is. He is the type of boy who wouldn't say that he has heard about anything until we mention it to him." |
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| "Is there any way to tell if my 15-year-old daughter has started having sex? I have asked, and of course the answer is no, but if she is, I want to make sure she is taking all the necessary precautions." |
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| "How do I talk to my 12-year-old about masturbation?" |
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| "When is it ok for teens to have sex? Please help!" |
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| "I found out that my son, who is 11 yrs old, has 'kissed a girl.' I found out from an email the girl (also 11) sent to my son. I haven't even begun to talk about sexuality with my son. Where do I begin?" |
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