We hate to be the bearers of bad news, especially to parents of babies and young children, but there’s a reason they say “baby, small problems; little kids, small problems.” Big kids, big problems.
Sure, they’re sleeping through the night now (sometimes until mid-afternoon), but the hardships of parenting aren’t quite over yet. As they go out into the world more and more independently, they will need important information, and it’s our job to make sure they have it.
One mom on TikTok is setting the bar high for many of us with her unique presentation of “The Talk.”
There are many ways to teach children about sex and relationships. Some people don’t like “the conversation” and just throw out years of information haphazardly in an effort to normalize the topic. Others like to make it a more formal sit-down that conveys the seriousness of the subject and gives children a chance to ask questions they might not ask on their own.
Tamara Mason, who posts on TikTok under the handle @tamaramasn, seems to fall at least partly into the latter camp. Her friend recently filmed her showing a slide show to her 14-year-old, and the first slide said, “Prepared and Presented by Mom, Featuring: Pop Music + Dr. Aunt Whitney,” which was pretty special.
In a cozy living room filled with snacks, Mason gave a speech on topics including “How do I know if I like someone,” healthy and unhealthy behaviors, “What can help you avoid having sex too early,” and sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections, among others.
Honestly, very well done.
The comments were full of praise for Mason’s approach.
“This is so clever!” one commenter wrote. “As someone who didn’t grow up in a home where we had this conversation, thank you for doing this for your daughter.”
“Teaching from a place of education and self-awareness rather than shame will set the next generation apart!” Another agreed. “They’re going to surprise us all.”
In fact, throughout her response to the comments, Mason seemed to be motivated by a sincere desire to not make her daughter feel left in the dark or as ashamed of these topics as she was.
Is there any better news? Mason’s slides can be used by parents who find this approach useful for their children.
“A few days ago, my best friend posted a speech I gave while I was ‘talking’ to my 14-year-old,” she wrote in the video’s caption. “Yeah, I made this whole slideshow for now. Tell me you’re a Millennial, instead of telling me you’re a Millennial.
She went on to explain that she has received dozens of requests to speak because she is “a big advocate for being honest with the young people of the future because that’s how they learn the most other than watching us,” and that she keeps the talk gender-neutral, collating Received some speaker notes and posted the entire briefing on Etsy.
“I do all the work, you just present it to your kids when you’re ready!”
Parenting teenagers is hard, so if anyone could make it a little easier, that would be great!
