By Eileen Knobloch, Middle School Counselor
As a parent, it can be challenging to know when to begin difficult conversations about discrimination, racism, misogyny, healthy romantic relationships, sex, drugs, etc. It is difficult to know how to begin a conversation and what exactly to say.
As a middle school counselor, I encourage you to begin those conversations now. If you have already started, keep them going. If you are a high school parent, you’ve probably been having these chats for years. If you haven’t, it’s time to begin.
One of the best ways to initiate a discussion is by using current events as a springboard to begin the discussion of one of these tough topics. It can also be useful to have some talking points or main messages identified before you begin the discussion.
In recent months, there has been a lot of news coverage of sexual harassment allegations and discussions of misogyny in society. This could be an opportunity for parents to discuss these topics with their middle school and high school aged students.
Parents may find the two articles linked below helpful as they formulate the type of discussion they wish to have and the main messages they want communicate to their teen.
5 Tips for Parents: Guiding Teens and Young Adults in Developing Healthy Romantic Relationships