Embracing the Awkwardness: Talking to Your Kids about Sexuality and Marriage
As parents, we’ve all been there – faced with awkward questions from our kids about sensitive topics like sexuality and marriage. But where do we turn for guidance? The Bible provides a clear and beautiful picture of what it means for two people to become one flesh.
A Union of Hearts and Bodies
In Genesis 2, we see that husband and wife become one flesh, a powerful metaphor for their hearts uniting as one and their wills uniting as one. But it goes deeper than just romantic metaphors. Our bodies are physically made for one another, designed to fit together in a way that brings new life into the world.
The Profound Nature of Marriage
Marriage unites a man and a woman at the deepest levels of their being, going beyond shared affections or love for each other’s company. It’s a union that makes them capable of creating new life, and in doing so, brings glory to God.
Talking to Your Kids about the Birds and Bees
So, how do we approach these conversations with our kids? It’s essential to consider their age and developmental stage, introducing biblical truths gradually as they mature. For younger children, we can focus on the fact that God created us with different bodies, designed for growing up to be moms and dads. As they enter pre-teen and teenage years, we need to have open and honest conversations about sexuality, emphasizing that our bodies are good and created for a purpose.
Embracing the Awkwardness
It’s crucial to be the ones having these conversations with our kids, rather than leaving it to culture to define what sexuality and marriage mean. We need to be forgiving and point them to Jesus’s forgiveness when mistakes are made. By keeping the conversation open and honest, we can help our kids navigate the complexities of growing up.
Resources for Parents
For more guidance on navigating these conversations, check out “What Do I Say When…?: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children and Teens” by Andrew and Christian Walker. This book provides busy Christian parents with quick and trustworthy answers to questions their children may ask about life’s toughest topics.
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