7 Tips to use when talking with your Teen about Sex
1. Remind yourself that sex and issues surrounding sex, like gender and sexuality, are totally different than when you were a teen.
2. Be aware of your words and tone, you want to remain open minded and non-judgmental, if not it may slow down the process of communication or stop it altogether.
3. Educate yourself on gender identity and pronouns. Educate yourself on safer sex practices.
4. A lot is happening online, in fact more than you are capable of dealing with, so know your teen's online friends. Monitor and be aware of who they are speaking with and how long they are online with them. Have a time limit, for example, no 3 A.M. conversations.
5. Keep your teen active and healthy. Self confidence is vital for them and todays social media does not make it easy. Try to get them out of the house and offline as much as you can. Make sure they spend time with real life friends.
6. Love them, tell them you love them, even if they give you a hard time when showing affection, like "You're so cringey!" Don't hold back, let them know you care and that you will love them always, no matter what.
7. Be patient with yourself. The world of gender and sexuality really has changed and there is a lot to absorb. Be kind to yourself, be patient and know that it will all be okay. You survived your teen years and so will they.