In this episode of the TiLT Parenting Podcast, I’m bringing back to the podcast sexuality educator and parenting expert Amy Lang for a follow-up conversation about something we all have to think about and address at some point in our child’s life, but many of us don’t have the language or any idea about how to even broach the subject with our child. Yes folks, I’m talking about pornography.

Amy is passionate about the fact that at its core, sex education is a health and safety issue for our kids. And that’s why I wanted to bring her back on the show, as I kept stumbling upon article after article about the fact that all kids will be exposed to pornography at some point in their childhood and that it’s critical they have the information and context they need so they’ll know what to do when they see it and understand why it can be harmful to them. This is a must-listen to conversation for every parent. And if you haven’t heard my first conversation with Amy about sex ed and differently wired kids, I encourage you to listen to that here.

 

About Amy: Amy Lang is committed to changing and challenging cultural beliefs about children and sexuality. She does this by teaching adults the best and most effective ways to talk, learn, and think about the birds and bees, and provides research-based, high quality keynotes, workshops, webinars, books, and other tools so adults can be true champions for the kids they care for and love. Her website is Birds + Bees + Kids.

 

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why Amy believes parents are the best sex educators for our kids

• What we as parents and caregivers need to know about kids’ exposure to pornography, including when it’s likely to happen

• What the science says about the impact of porn exposure on children and teens

• Do’s and Don’ts for talking with our kids about pornography

• What to do if you discover your child has viewed or is regularly viewing pornography online

• How to talk to kids about porn who know nothing about it (ie: will learning about it make them want to look at it?)

• How to avoid bringing shame or guilt into conversations about porn with our kids

 

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Birds + Bees + Kids (Amy’s website)

• Birds + Bees + YOUR Kids: A Guide to Sharing Your Beliefs About Sexuality, Love, and Relationships by Amy Lang

• Good Pictures, Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen A. Jenson

• Autism Sex Education (website)

• Amaze

• Jo Langford, M.A. (sex education therapist)

• Do You Think Porn Affects The Way Teens Think About Sex? (article in The New York Times)

• Sex Education and Our Differently Wired Kids (previous podcast episode with Amy)

• Birds + Bees + Kids on Facebook

 

THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING!

Do you have an idea for an upcoming episode? We’d LOVE to hear from you. Please share your thoughts in our Suggestion Box!

And if you have any other feedback or thoughts you’d like to share, feel free to leave a comment below or send us a note directly through our Connect form.

If you liked this episode and know of others who would find value in the information, please use the social media share buttons below to help spread the word.

Lastly, if you are so willing, I encourage you to leave an honest review for the TiLT Parenting Podcast over on iTunes. Reviews are very important for helping podcasts find their audiences, and we would love your support in helping us find ours!

To subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss a single episode, you can do so on iTunes here and SoundCloud here.