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OPINION

Some day my kids are going to have sex — and that, my friends, is terrifying.

When you are a parent, you imagine all kinds of non-so-great future scenarios involving your children — battling a bully at school, failing at something, wrecking a car and navigating adolescence.

You want to be prepared for what COULD happen.

You think about relationships they will enter into, crushes they will develop, and how you will be there to support them when they have their hearts broken — which will be at least once.

And then, somewhere deep in the background, you are reminded that some day they will be out on their own, having sex.

Dear God!

A few days ago, a news article was published regarding the possible link between a growth in STI numbers in Canada and the use of social media.

Maybe the facts are showing that because sex is fairly easily accessible online, more people are having sex, or sex with people they don’t know that well, and thus becoming infected…

It makes me shake my head.

So now I have two new issues to worry about for my kids — finding sex on the Internet and growing STI rates.

I’m not ready.

Finding sex on the Internet is a new one for me, but I know Tinder and Bumble are out there, and a plethora of OTHER hook-up websites.

So not only do I have to worry about my children voluntarily giving up personal information on a sketchy ‘dating’ website, in the hopes of meeting someone for God knows what, but I also have to worry about whether or not the person on the other end of that swipe right isn’t a child predator or a serial killer.

And let’s face it, there are some really smart, good-hearted, ambitious kids out there, but they still have developing brains.

They don’t make the ‘right’ decisions all of the time.

But adults don’t make the ‘right’ decisions all of the time either, so can we really blame them?

Living in the bush is sounding pretty darn good right about now.

So when it too early to speak with your kids about sex, and more importantly online sex?

And, when you do delve into those embarrassing conversations, what resources can you use to back up the point you are trying to get across?

I’m imagining changing my children’s computer screensaver to read, ‘Hey guys, it’s mom. Can you please go ahead and watch these videos I’ve bookmarked for you before you do your homework? I’m afraid you are going to make some poor choices in life (if you haven’t already) and I don’t trust your friends. Oh, and hey, when your finished, let’s have a little chat over some cookies and milk.’

Can I just skip that part of the parenting To-Dos?!

I could leave them to their own devices I know, but that’s what I’m afraid of, leaving them to their own devices.

And in the back of my mind I just keeping thinking, there’s got to be an app for that!

— Becky Mann is a 30-something, red haired, mother of two, trying to navigate this life as best she can. She enjoys talking to people and discovering their stories. Still trying to balance her personal and professional life, she juggles work and play. In her spare time Becky can be found visiting with friends, spending time with her family and saving time by reading while walking. She knows there is so much more to come and is looking forward to the continued adventure.

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