Today something I have been dreading since Emily was born happened- we had to have "THE TALK"! (yikes) Here is how that went...
So today as we are in the checkout aisle at Walmart Emily sees one of those magazines, you know Cosmo- the one with the S word all over it (I'll keep this rated G, in case any of my younger friends are reading) We have done this of course many times before but she has always been oblivious to them. Well, today she turns and says "How dare they put that word on a magazine cover? Don't they know there are children that can read in this store?!" So at this point I am thinking ok, so what does she know and how much of it does she know. I really don't want to have this conversation inside of Walmart so I just look at her and said "I take it we need to have a talk..."
I will pause here in the story to let you know that I have read the books, I have read articles, and I have even talked to other parents who have gone before me but I was NOT ready for this yet! I know, I know, I sound like a total chicken but I never got "the talk" I learned the way most people did- all information from their peers who knew no more than I did or knew what their older siblings had taught them. I did not want this to be the only information my daughter had on the subject. I wanted her to have this information the Godly way.
We got home sat at the table (Emily, Cecelia, and I) over some ice cream and I asked her "Ok, Emily so you go first- what DO you know?" Thank God she didn't have much information mostly that Cadence (a girl in her class) had told her "Emily that word is so disgusting you don't want to know what it's about!" So I started easy and asked her if she knew how animals mated- and she replied "Oh, you mean like how when the male peacock sees a female peacock he extends his feathers to show off and then lands his mate?" Well, close enough... haha At this point- I don't know exactly how I am going to approach this so I just say a quick prayer in my head- God help me not to die in the middle of this conversation (at this second I realize why my mom skipped this talk)! "Ok, well Emily I' will start off by telling you that it is not disgusting. This is something special that God gave us to share with your spouse once we are married. And if not for "it" you or I would be standing here today." Emily quickly comes back with- "Well, you said I'm not allowed to get married!" (I think I told her that when she was 3 and then changed it to after college) The rest of the conversation is basically me telling her a very G rated version of what it truly is and how she needs to save herself for who ever God sends her to share this gift with. I then told her and Cecelia that if they have ANY questions to please come to me before going to their friends and I would always be as honest as possible with my answers.
The thing is that although to this day I do not have the kind of "openness" with my mom where she and I would EVER talk about this, I want to have this with my children. I want them to come to me for questions and advise that way I can give them the answers that God wants them to have not just whatever advise is being thrown at them by their peers or even worse the media. So as hard as this was for me, I hope that our future conversations will be easier. Like Kiohud said "You know, this is conversation 1 of 50" I just hope this opened the door so that my children will be able to make wise, Godly decisions. :)
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