Description
The Talk (20,000 words) – This book is not just about the sex talk. Though its content will be a great practical help for you when the time comes to have this all-important conversation with your child, I want to provide you with a long runway that prepares you for the talk. Some readers may want to get to the crux of the talk; I understand. You can’t wait because there is no runway; your child is transitioning from youth to young adult, and you must start the talk sooner than later. If that is you, you may skip to the final three chapters to get to the nuts and bolts of the talk.
However, the best use of this book is for the parents of a toddler. The sex talk begins in the early months of a child’s life, specifically with how the parents live out biblical sexuality in the home as a couple. Your goal is to do more than export scripted words to your child at the pivotal point as a pre- or early teenager. You are uniquely positioned to give your child a worldview, a lifestyle, and an example of biblical sex in the home, the church, and the world. This book is about parenting one of the most confusing and complicated areas in a child’s life. What you’re about to read can transform you, your marriage, and your child. It is one of those rare gospel perspectives about a complex subject. Be prepared for God to change you. Be prepared to lead your child into the rest of their life.
Note to reader: This book has several chapters that discuss one gender or the other, which is intentional, so I would not have to say him/her throughout. If you have a girl, everything I say will apply to her, too.
- Chapters 1-5 are foundational. They are essential as you lay a foundation for establishing and enhancing your relationship with your spouse and child while interacting within those relationships. Sexuality and the sex talk are not disconnected from the history and patterns of the relationships, which is why this book does not begin with the talk.
- Chapters 6-8 walk through the talk. With a relational foundation in place, you are now ready to walk your child through the sex talk. The final three chapters of this book will guide you through this process.
Rick Thomas