This is a transcript excerpt from a YouTube panel titled "Talking About Sex With Older Kids" (Pure Desire Ministries) where panelists address whether it's too late for parents of teenagers or adult children to begin conversations about sex and related issues. Panelists reject the idea that it's too late and recommend vulnerability, humility, apologizing for past absence, modeling growth, and gently inviting dialogue; they emphasize ongoing parental growth and that modeling matters more than words.
There are probably people listening who have kids that are no longer considered younger. So maybe not in the 7 to 9 range, maybe in the teenage years, maybe even adult kids that are listening. Is it too late for those parents and what can they do, if at all to address this issue with kids who aren't younger anymore, who are not in that age group?
Nothing. It's too late. What's the next question?
That's all the time we have for you today. Let's see. Actually, thanks for tuning in. Yeah, seriously.
I think vulnerability comes to mind. Been had open communication with them, your own just taking on some humility and sharing some of your story and your struggles. That really goes a long way with kids and it really opens. That's what I've seen in our home. It really opens them up. And I mean I, Rodney talked about it earlier. We were young parents with not a lot of, you know, a lot, not.
A lot of is just here's my weaknesses and here's my strengths. Not false humility, but true humility. Old dad or a 30 year old mom. So that growing and learning, it, it's a mindset that we take. It's not about perfection, it's about growing. That's why I love when 70 year olds join our groups because they want to be healthier. I'm like, yeah, you're not waiting till you're in your 80s. 80s is hard and 90s is almost impossible, you know, to do this work. So way to get a jump start. Today is the day that we have today. So today, why don't you start learning and growing. Be humble, find good resources that can help you and you'll be amazed at the, at the gift you're going to leave your kids.
What I would say is that there's never a bad time to do a good thing. Now there might have been a better time you might have wished you to started when they were young, but we can't look at that and go, well I didn't start when they're young so you know, I guess my time has passed. It's having that humility, like you said, Traci, to walk into their lives and in a gentle, gracious way to say, hey, I feel like I really should have been involved more in this area and I'm sorry that I wasn't, but I'm in a place now, I'm learning some things and I'm growing and I just, I want to start that conversation. And maybe they're 17 or 27 or whatever age and their reaction to it depending on the person could be varied. They may not be super interested, but I think it communicates to them more than we realize when we say, I'm sorry, I wasn't engaged. I'd like to be a part of the conversation now. And if and when you're ready, I want you to know I would love to be a part of having some of these conversations. It's a good thing to do, and maybe you didn't do it earlier, but there's never a bad time to do a good thing.
That's a beautiful quote.
And you're also talking about modeling. So then if they see you, whatever area it is in your life, it could be financial. It could be as a couple, we're getting some support and help. Could be a lot of things where they just seem, oh, my parents are still growing, still learning. I think that opens up to more conversations as well.
Tracy would often remind me of that when our kids were younger, what we model is more important than what we say. Keep modeling.
