Our children are growing up in a hyper-sexualised world, with challenges that are very different from those we had faced in the days of our youth. How do we parent this generation with understanding while being a godly influence in their lives?
In conjunction with Jason Wong and his team, Family Life Ministries (FLM) organised a Parents' Forum to equip parents on this subject. The three-part series on three Thursday evenings (8th, 10th and 17th June) touched on relationships and sexuality today, the environment that children now live in and its real pressures, simple legal concepts and practical handles on engaging children in conversations effectively.
Throughout the sessions, there was an emphasis on making it safe for children to approach their parents about anything under the sun and focusing on building a strong parent-child relationship. The final session also included some role-play and the exchange of feedback as the parents put what they learnt to practice. One common challenge was engaging without getting angry and steering the conversation to elicit a response.
Parents were grateful for the in-depth knowledge shared on the way children today view sexual intimacy and what it means to them.
The FLM team also received feedback that the sessions brought about a change in mindset where parenting was concerned – from an approach that is top-down to one which focuses on creating a non-threatening space for dialogue. It was highly practical and meaningful time for the parents, and they are looking forward to being further engaged in this manner. A total of 130 participants joined the Parent’s Forum, some with their spouses.