Talking to Your Preteen Daughter About Sex

The other day I overheard my daughter and her friends referring to Axel Rose as sexy. My little girl is eleven-years-old, so I was shocked to say the least.

It is difficult for parents to know how to handle situations such as the one above. Today's preteens are constantly bombarded with sexual images from the music they listen to, to the television shows they watch. The problem is that most preteens do not have the emotional maturity to understand and deal with the serious problems that can arise from talking and dressing like the your women they see in the media.

As parents how can we guide our daughters down the right path and help them to enjoy the innocence of childhood instead of rushing headfirst into womanhood?

First, and most importantly we need to keep the lines of communication open with our children. Most parents have a difficult time talking to their preteen daughters about sex and sexuality. We often feel that if we talk about sex with our children we are somehow saying that it is okay for them to become sexually active. However, we need to accept the fact that sex is an important part of like and should be discussed accordingly.

It is important to talk with your daughter about the implications of becoming sexually active at a young age. Unfortunately, many preteen girls lack a clear knowledge of the consequences they may face. Therefore we are now experiencing an increase in the number of preteen girls becoming pregnant.

As embarrassing as it may be, parents need to talk to their daughters about pregnancy, menstruation, and their emerging womanhood long before they reach puberty. Preteens should know have a clear understanding of what to expect long before the actual changes occur.

Every preteen girl will have questions about her constantly changing body and the issues surrounding sex and sexuality. Make it clear to your daughter what you expect of her and what behavior is and is not acceptable in your family. Let her know that her concerns are normal and you there to help her sort out her feelings if she needs to talk.

As parents we all hope that our daughters will survive their preteen years free of any physical and emotional problems, However, without open communication between parent and child we cannot expect our daughters to make safe and healthy choices. Taking the time to talk to your daughter will help make the preteen years less of a mystery for parent and child.