Oh no you didn’t! Or rather, yes my kid did! There are many things I am ready for in this world. With the joys of how fast the world is moving, I have even had to prepare myself for things I thought I did not have to think about for quite some time. For those that do not know, my child is currently ten going on twenty. Imagine back to when you were ten. What were we doing at that age? What were we saying? What life experiences had we had? Same questions, but now make that your twenty year old self. Different answers I presume?
This has been the joys of being a daddy in today’s day and age. I have had to find appropriate ways to educate my child on things that a twenty year old should be knowing or asking. In essence my pre-teen kid is being talked to like a college student but in words, phrases and terminology that my kid can understand and relate to. Yet, my child is using words that are far beyond her vocabulary, or rather should be.
No, no, no. My kid is not cussing or saying words like that. Instead, my child came home from school the other day and said she heard something about the dreaded “S” word. That part was my embellishment as she just flat out said the word. She told me that she was told a woman has to wear a condom for sex! Apart from wanting to burst out laughing, my gay mind went to…huh? How would that work for a woman? I have never experienced doing that deed with somebody with XY chromosomes, but am pretty sure that there is not one made for women.
Being the open and honest daddy I am, we discussed it. We talked about it and you could see understanding flash across her face, mixed with a bit of disgust. That last part made me happy, because it told me I was nowhere near destined to become a 30-40 something year old grandpa. YES! I felt a sense of euphoria knowing that I could hopefully be closer to 50+ before that happens. WOO!
This conversation ended in a way that told me I explained what I needed to, but also not too much. It is my job, as my kid’s parent to teach her. Teach her right from wrong, good from bad and everything in between. Yes, school does have classes and lessons they teach about this topic, but I want to make sure I prepare my kid for things this world will toss her way. In addition, I know how she will understand things, comprehend them and make sense of what is told to her. I do not expect my daughter’s school, another kid or even another parent to do that. That is my job and I am happy not only to have that job to do, but do it to have the best version of myself reflected through my daughter.
Make sure that when the time comes for this “S” word conversation or “D” word (drugs), “A” word (alcohol) or any other letter of difficult topics, that we embrace this with open arms. That we also embrace it by being honest/real with our kids, while we maintain the innocence of youth that seems to be dissipating more and more each day/month/year within them, and within our society!
Jayke Brown is a certified life coach, motivational speaker and author of 13 books. He adopted his daughter from birth (now she is 10) and they both live an active, healthy, fun and outgoing lifestyle out of Northeast Ohio. To learn more about Jayke, please visit his website at: www.jaykebrown.com!
