“Why Can’t You Just Trust Me?” The question came from Sam, Jeff and Jenna’s 16-year-old daughter. Jeff was first exposed to pornography online when he was younger than Sam. He was on his family’s desktop, looking up something for school. He came across an ad for one of his favorite games and clicked on it, only it didn’t take him to the game as he’d expected. It opened a tab to a site...
Why Parents Should Skip the Sex Talk
Did your parents give you “The Talk”? If not, you might be comforted to know that only about 5% of the parents I talk to say their parents ever talked with them about sex. My parents were divorced when I was very young, and just as they had different religious beliefs, I’m certain they had different ideas about the best way to parent us around topics of sexuality. My dad had a more permissive...
7 Things Not to Do When Your Child’s Exposed to Porn
We love the innocence of little children. They see the world through fresh eyes, laugh easily, dance without feeling embarrassed. Being around them even helps us to see the world differently. Many summers ago, a little girl was visiting our family and playing outside when it started to rain. Hard. We all ran for shelter. As we stood staring out at the pouring rain, I wondered how disappointed the...
Five Tips for Parents of Digital Natives
“Hi Daddy, it’s me.” My daughter had been saving all summer for a new iPod Touch. Those four words were her way of letting me know she’d gotten it. Just four words, but I could see her standing in the Apple store, smiling ear to ear with excitement. When she got home, she spent the evening updating her contacts, syncing music, and installing apps recommended by her older sister. I know a good bit...
Mind the Gap
Somewhere amidst the clamor of a Sunday morning, a girl walked into our dining room.
Fear and Baseball
Fear acts like a friend, making promises, but taking prisoners.