Question #31: At what age should a parent speak to their child about sexual issues?

This set of posts comes from Pastor Mark Driscoll and his wife Grace. The sermon series The Peasant Princess brought up dozens of questions that they felt they should respond to. The result is this blog series: Christian Sex: Frank Answers to Honest Questions. Answer: A Christian parent should be the first person to speak with their child about these issues. The best age to discuss these matters varies from child to child but if a parent is going to err, they should err on the side of bringing up the matter too soon rather than too late. Ensuring that the lines of communication are open and honest between a parent and child is paramount. A parent must vigilantly remain aware of the questions and curiosities of their child(ren) and speak with frank biblical wisdom like the dad in Proverbs. Lastly, a godly parent should never shame or embarrass their child while speaking on this subject, but treat them as an emerging fellow adult. As a general rule, the beginning of sexual dialogue with a child should begin at a very young age, concerning what is inappropriate touch to help prevent sexual abuse www.kidsneedtoknow.com, and grow to include romantic and other physical touch along with biological changes by age ten. Discussing how God created sex for a married man and woman, and the changes that God created our bodies to go through as we develop, can help them see sexuality as normal, safe, and beautiful inside the marriage covenant. If you are establishing a trust in God and the Word from an early age, they will more naturally trust your words as they align with the Bible. Sadly, the average boy sees his first Internet pornography by age eleven, which means waiting until later than age ten is often too late to establish a solid biblical foundation for sexuality because the first bricks are already laid by the world.