The Parenting Project by Amy Alamar

Author:Amy Alamar
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rockport Publishers
Published: 2018-01-02T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

NAVIGATING UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS

“Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.”

PETER MCWILLIAMS

When I told my friend, Mary, that I was writing a book about conversations with kids she brightened up and said, “Have I got a story for you!” Mary talked about her sassy middle daughter, Emme, who peaked early in her development in many ways. When Emme was in fourth grade, Mary was called into the principal’s office totally out of the blue.

Emme had never been in trouble before, so my friend had no idea what could have happened. The principal asked her to come to school to pick up a book that Emme and a friend had been working on during their bus rides. Apparently, the girls were turned in by a third classmate who felt excluded from the project. Mary asked the principal to please just send the book home, but the principal refused. When she entered the principal’s office, everyone was very serious and concerned. The staff went on to explain that her sweet fourth grader was working on a book about sex that included explicit stories and illustrations. Mary didn’t know her daughter could draw so well.

While the school staff seemed flabbergasted, Mary found herself laughing, “Well, maybe she will get a job at Playboy someday.” The school staff did not seem amused, but Emme’s mom saw no benefit from quashing her daughter’s spirit and creativity. The book opened up a conversation about sex and sexuality, as well as appropriate ways to express oneself on many different levels. Mary kept the book and is thrilled that she had the opportunity to start a conversation she didn’t realize her daughter was ready to have. This example reinforces why we should start talking about sex with our children early, and continue often—because the information is already at their fingertips.

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