PARENT SUPPORT SYSTEM
Post Exposure
8-12 years old
As children develop sexual awareness and responsibility, they need to understand how ratings systems work and what to do when they experience sexual urges. They need to start to develop a sense for natural sex as God designed it as opposed to sex God didn’t design. Finally, the family needs to expand the plan for handling porn addiction and accountability within the household.
What should a child know at this stage?
- How ratings systems work
- How to respond to sexual urges
- Family plan for dealing with porn
- Unnatural vs. natural sex
RESOURCES
This downloadable document provides an adjustable template for a family to adapt for use in their home. It allows the family to predefined affirmations and consequences so that should a member of the family act in a way outside of God’s plan for sex the issue can be handled with clarity and gospel predominance.
Rating Systems printable Infographic
Each of these three infographics plainly explain the various ratings systems used for games, shows, movies and other media. It’s a simple way parents can talk through what is and is not appropriate for their child to experience (zip file of all three graphics).
Urges video for kids & parents
This video guides the conversation about developing sexual urges and is designed to serve as a spark and a reference for discussing them as a family, Since sexual urges are good – God designed them and has a good plan for them – families will do well to plan and consider how they can follow the path towards God’s dreams for their sexuality.
FAQ
Conquerors through Christ recommends Covenant Eyes’ screen accountability software. Parental control content blockers are a good start, but Christian accountability is extremely important in every struggle too. Covenant Eyes helps provide enable that accountability.
Pornography objectifies people and creates unrealistic expectations for sex that are completely void of the intimacy God intends. Pornography can be very addictive. Pornography encourages the abuse of women. The harm of pornography on your child extends beyond a guilty conscience and a damaged understanding of God’s design for sex. Pornography harms self-image and leads to lack of confidence and low self-worth.
Do not overreact. This was going to happen eventually. Nothing is ruined. And your child is normal. It’s not shocking that this is happening, it’s shocking that you didn’t know about it. Now that you do know about it, you can have a conversation about it with your child. Let them know that sex is good, but pornography is not. Let them know what your plan will be going forward. Consider putting a content blocker on the devices your child uses. Let them know they are forgiven and loved.
Conquerors through Christ has produced a Parent Support System to assist and equip parents in teaching their children about God’s gift and design of sexuality. Conquerors through Christ also has Middle School Lessons and a High School Curriculum available.
Probably every age is a fine age to talk to your child about sexuality in age-appropriate ways. Talk to your two-year-old about privacy and differences between boys and girls. As they develop, you can continue teaching them about their body and later about the temptations and threats that exist in the world and can harm our bodies. Sex education is a process, not an event. You are not looking for a time to have one big awkward conversation. You are looking for many opportunities throughout your child’s life to advance the process of teaching them of God’s blessings and intentions for them and their bodies.
If CtC Resources assist you in your efforts to Resist, Reject, or Recover from porn use, please help us continue to create them. Your gift would be a tremendous blessing to our ministry.