When thinking of talking to a pre-teen about "The Talk", I think of some parents who go on about some make believe story about how babies are made. Sometimes the pre-teens will come up to their parents and ask questions about it on their own, but if they do not then I think that the parent should start to consider having the talk once puberty kicks in. When the parents do decide to have that talk with their children, I think that it should be done in a private area so the teen will feel comfortable talking about sex knowing that no one else could potentially be listening in. The parent should also make sure to let their child know that whatever is said is kept between themselves in order for the pre-teen to be more confident in sharing personal information. The parent could start by sitting the pre-teen down and start talking about what exactly is happening to their body during the puberty process and then moving into the side of sexual activity. The parent should cover oral, vaginal and anal sex because these are all ways people have sex. I also think that the parents should talk about different contraceptions other than abstinence because not everyone practices that. I think that the parent should definitely use different sources, including books or webpages. Planned Parenthood and MTV each have websites with resources about safe sex and different contraceptives available. If the pre-teen in a girl, the parents could also take the girl to the OB-GYN for further information about which contraceptive would work best for her. The parent should anticipate questions about the parent's own first time and how do I know when I am ready to have sex. The parent should answer open and honestly with their child. I think that the parent should make sure to tell the pre-teen that ultimately it is their own decision when they decide to have sex because the pre-teens are the ones that know how they are feeling. The parent can tell them not to all they want, but sometimes that does back fire and the pre-teen gets in over his or her head. Although every parent is going to talk to their pre-teen differently, the main point is to just make sure you do talk to them.
