Friday, May 15, 2015

Why I'm Talking About Sex


If the truth be told, very few of us (especially women) feel comfortable talking about sex.  Many of us grew up with all kinds of misconceptions of what it was, what it was used for and who could partake.

For many women, we were taught that sex was something naughty, something that could have negative consequences (getting sexual diseases or getting pregnant), something that only skanky girls did, or something that should be saved for marriage.

For men, they grew up thinking they were something special if they could have sex, the sooner the better.  They then loved to brag about it with all of their buddies (which was great for their egos but often demoralizing and embarrassing for the girls they were with). Many men were taught that the more “notches on their belt” the better.

My purpose in writing/talking about sex is to demystify the whole negative mindset surrounding sex. I want you to become more comfortable with yourself and your sexuality.  I want you to not only be able to talk about it but to actually enjoy it, preferably with someone else who feels equally comfortable with themselves.

We send our children to school for 12+ years to learn things they probably will never use (I have NEVER used Chemistry in my life since graduating from High School or College, and don’t tell me I use Chemistry when I’m cooking!! I didn’t need to struggle through Chemistry to learn how to cook!!), yet we spend very little time teaching children the skills needed to make relationships work. 

Personally, I wish more schools would incorporate classes that teach intra-personal (understanding yourself) and inter-personal (understanding others), conflict resolution and communication techniques into their programs. Those are the building blocks of great relationships. And great relationships are predecessors to great sex.

I have five children of my own (and one in Heaven). One of the reasons I’m talking about sex is that someday when my children are emotionally/physically/relationally ready I would love for them to experience mutually enjoyable relationships which include great sex. That doesn’t just magically happen.

My parenting techniques have changed from my oldest to my youngest child (there is an eleven year difference between them). With my two older kids, I didn’t feel as comfortable talking to them about sex and therefore, they are having a more difficult time with the fact that THEIR mother is talking about sex. With my three younger kids, I’m trying to incorporate it more into our daily conversations.  I will say things to my 12 year old son which help him understand what goes into pleasing a woman. (e.g. “Your future wife/girlfriend/partner will so appreciate your thoughtfulness in cleaning up after yourself and not expecting her to do that for you, so thank you for putting your dishes in the dishwasher.”)

Another reason I’m talking about sex is that I want to improve as many relationships as I can.  I want to prevent affairs from happening because emotional/sexual needs are not being met. I want to teach young people what to do BEFORE they get into relationships. I want to do this by educating men and women how to speak each other’s languages.

I have always had a natural ability to have very candid conversations with males. They feel comfortable enough with me to let me in on some of the “man code” that us women don’t understand. I want to share that information with women so they can better understand how men think.

Because I’m a woman and have lots of female friends, I know many of the struggles women experience when it comes to relating to men.

So here’s to talking about sex. If all of this makes you feel very uncomfortable, I invite you to give yourself permission to get out of your comfort zone.  I had to. And I’m glad I did.

Stacy Rothenberger, M.S. CCC-SLP, CLC
Communication Disorders Consultant
Mindset and Relationship Coach

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