Love and Intimacy

Thanks to all who came to the second Saturday meeting. A great discussion on love and intimacy was had by all, I think. Even with most of us knowing each other, the topic still brought out the shyness in some of us so we did a small "ice breaker" activity to help the discussion get started.

This got me thinking of two things. First, how at ease I am in reality with discussing this topic with our child and second, what beliefs I want our child to associate with love and intimacy. So many of us adults have had to un-learn shame-based and conservative values when it comes to this subject. While I was lucky in that my parents did not saddle me with very much of these beliefs, I am coming to appreciate how challenging it must have been for my parents to accomplish this in a society that is so restrictive and puritanical.

When I look at Sadie who is now 3 and a half, I can't imagine her turning into a teenager and then a young woman but I know it is sure to happen and I know that her attitudes towards her body and of love and intimacy will develop based on the principles we teach her starting now. By respecting her privacy, helping her develop a positive self-esteem and body image and by answering her many, many, many (!) questions in an age-appropriate and honest way I hope that we can provide a foundation that allows her to have a healthy lifetime of love and intimacy.

I am glad to have the Mamas and Papas community to help me navigate these challenging topics in a thoughtful and constructive way.

(posted by Shelli)