Indulge me for a moment in a thought exercise.  

Suppose you are a teenager growing up today. Like most parents, your parents have not talked to you very much about sex. They just said you need to save sex for marriage.  

You now have your first serious boyfriend or girlfriend, and you are feeling the urge to have sex. It is time to make up your mind.  

Television, movies, music, magazines, and even your friends push the idea to have sex now. Your parents seem to be the only ones saying to save sex.  

Does your culture make the idea of sex now look good? YES! Be like everyone else, be happy, enjoy life, consequences are rare. It is thrilling and exciting.  

Now how do your parents make the idea look of keeping sex in marriage? Well, they had sex once, maybe more if you have siblings. Do you see any thrill, excitement, happiness, or enjoyment in their romantic relationship? No.  

So which would you choose?  

Do you model romance for your kids? Do you make sure they see their parents in an exciting romantic relationship? You should. I'm not talking about having sex in their presence. I'm talking romance.  

Bill Maier shared a great idea on Focus on the Family. Tell your kids you want to surprise your spouse with a romantic dinner in the dining room. Let them choose the center pieces, set the table, make decorations. Perhaps they can even help prepare the meal. Maybe they just clean their rooms or clean the dining room or living room. Set up a table for the kids in another room while you and your spouse have a candle-lit dinner alone.  

Your children get to see up close and personal the thrill, excitement, happiness, and enjoyment of a romantic marriage. And ... you might just enjoy it yourself.