A father sought help from a sex education expert about talking to his kids, whose ages are six and seven. They accidentally saw his sex video while the kids were playing with this phone. What must the parent do then in this awkward situation?
"The older one came across a video of me masturbating," the father shared to expert Melanie Davis, per Psychology Today. "I am disgusted with myself, as it was meant for my girlfriend," he added.
Davis turned to a parenting expert, Amy Johnson, for advice in this situation and she suggested that acknowledging and apologizing for the incident to the kids would be a start. It's necessary to tell the children that coming across the video was not their fault and that the parents must be open to answering their questions. The parent must also promise to their kids about being careful with his private stuff.
Sex Education: Instilling Privacy And Boundaries
Children will eventually come to understand that their parents are sexual beings. However, for many parents, discussing their sex life with their kids is not only awkward, it's also taboo. But in an unexpected situation, such as this accidental video, it might be a good idea to teach the children about sex.
"You want to talk enough about sex with them that they are comfortable asking you questions about sex and that they don't have shame around themselves as sexual beings," said psychiatrist Julie Holland, via Fox 2 Now. However, Holland also cautions about making a parent's sex life "completely private" as kids should learn about boundaries too.
Sex Education: Following The Child's Lead
The situation could be akin to kids accidentally catching their parents having sex and experts note that how this is explained could impact their attitude towards the sex in general. "Always follow your child's lead on what they can handle," said psychotherapist Jennifer Naparstek Klein, via CNN. If the children express discomfort, it might be a good idea to have the discussion at a later time.
