Most parents have some level of fear of having 'the talk' with their kids. The universal uncertainty of what to say, how much to say, and what language to use, is what led Mary Flo Ridley to develop her talk "Sooner Than You Think," which guides parents through the process of beginning the conversation with kids from the time they are toddlers. 

Mary Flo says kids' minds are like sponges, and they're constantly absorbing the messages all around them. She helps parents fill their kids' sponges before the culture has the opportunity to do it for them. When parents don't begin this conversation while their children are toddlers, they allow other people and outside forces to inform their children about sexual matters.

Learn more about Mary Flo at www.MaryFlo.org

Recently, Mary Flo was contacted by a mother whose young boys, 8 and 10, were exposed to pornography. The mother was horrified. She hadn't had the conversation with her boys about sexuality and now, their friends and a pornographic website had done it for her.

"I got your materials when I heard you speak," she told Mary Flo, "but didn't follow through teaching it to my kids. Now I'm angry with myself."

This is one example of what happens so often. We never think our children will be exposed to pornography at the age of 8, but 34% of 10-17-year-olds were accidentally exposed to online pornography in 2005. We can assume that number has risen since then. As parents, we need to push through the awkwardness of these conversations and teach our children how to process the sexual messages they are exposed to.

The mother ended her letter by saying, "Now we know we need to put your materials to work."

Do you need help talking to your kids about sex? Take a look at Simple Truths with Mary Flo Ridley to see if these resources can help your children.

For more on internet pornography, read Eric Tooley's article.