Lossofalme
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5 years ago •
Jun 21, 2019
5 years ago •
Jun 21, 2019
Slightly different perspective, but in the same vein...
My kids (oldest is 14, youngest is 5) have all attended, and continue to attend, human sexuality programs based on Our Whole Lives (https://www.uua.org/re/owl). And as a family we are very open and discuss all the ways people can express themselves (including sexually). Although we live in a small town, our children have friends with two moms, or two dads, or just one parent (who may or may not date), or who live with grandparents, or in a polycule, or with a mother who used to be their father. They are aware that different people express themselves (sexually and emotionally) in different ways and that those ways will change as the person changes. In addition to the OWL curriculum, we've read books like "it's not the stork" (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/its-not-the-stork) and "it's perfectly normal" (http://robieharris.com/?page_id=186) and "ready for it" (https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chusita/ready-for-it/) as they've grown so they know... well... they know their options and that enthusiastic consent is the minimum they should accept.
Do they know the specifics of the emotional and sexual relationship between their parents? No. Do they know there is an emotional and sexual relationship between their parents? Yes.
There are plenty of ways to make just about anything work between consenting adults... White noise machines in the children's rooms and music in the adult rooms (and gags!) can reduce the noise that might otherwise wake a young child or worry a tween. Euphemisms or code words, private texting apps, or visual symbols can all carry meaning for those adult partners without causing children any distress (leaving a hair brush on a window sill to indicate a punishment to come, telling a partner that you've "spoken to Kitty and expect to be spending time with her later", sending pictures to your partner's phone). Rules or protocols can be adapted in a way children would never see as unusual... Say one partner always sits with the kids on the floor while watching TV while the other partner is on the couch, or one partner doesn't wear underwear (something that can be checked by the partner but is invisible to the child), or one partner uses a term of respect (sir, ma'am, Captain, Madame) but in a way that seems playful or idiosyncratic to the child, or one partner sets the menu for the week while the other partner serves the meal at the table, or one partner always opens the car door/holds the building door/carries the packages/takes the other partner by the arm while walking/speaks to strangers in a public setting (orders at the restaurant, makes the phone calls, hails and pays for the cabs, pays the bills, etc), or one partner wears clothing selected by the other or follows a diet or exercise routine at the discretion of their partner (and all the kids know is that their parent does yoga, or doesn't snack, or always wears leggings with tunic tops and is barefoot indoors).
Really... It can be a challenge, but it's not that MUCH of a challenge. And hopefully, at the end of the day, you've succeeded in raising children who understand safe/sane/consensual and who will never settle for less than enthusiastic consent for themselves and for their partners while at the same time nurturing your own, adult, relationships.
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