We all have them. Those topics. No matter the age of our kiddos, there’s a conversation we are dragging our feet to begin. It might be explaining death, or discussing divorce, or having to explain that the chicken on their plate actually is the same as the chickens they see at a farm.
(I might still be slightly traumatized from that talk when our son was in preschool.)
The topics we could start talking about at any time, but instead studiously avoid. Because they put a pit in our stomach, or a blush to our cheeks, or a bewilderedness to our minds.
They are just hard. So we avoid them.
Until now.
Don’t panic. I’m not asking you to do TheWholeThingAtOnce. Remember, the summer of love is all about the tiny. And this big conversation that you’ve been dreading? It actually isn’t one big talk at all. It’s a million little ones (I can hear you groaning. Trust me, this is a good thing).
You can do this. The hardest part? Is getting started the first time. So this week, lay the ground work. Bring it up in some small way.
“When we were out at the park there was … I was wondering if you had any questions about it.”
“Hey kiddo, I know you asked me a while ago about why we never … I thought now would be a good time to start the conversation.”
“I’m a bit intimidated to say this, but ….”
One sentence. Maybe two. Then stop. And follow your child’s curiosity. They’ll take you where they need to go. You may have a few benchmarks you want to make sure to address along the way. Great. Knowing where we are heading helps. But the distance between here and there is one you can hand over to your child to direct.
And if you blush and stammer and lose your train of thought in the process? That’s great. Really. It means you are showing your kids that in your family you do hard things, In your family you can talk about anything. No matter what.
It will be harder for you than it will be for them. Because our kids? They are doing uncomfortable things all the time—learning to walk or tie a shoe or drive a car. Their struggle is real and it is real every day. We can struggle right along next to them. Showing them we are real, too.
Whatever it is about, however you want to begin, this. Is. The. Week.
I’ve said enough. Now it’s your turn to talk.
xoxo.
What’s your conversation going to be about? If you’d like, come share it on our facebook page. You don’t have to include any details. You can keep it simple. Put down one or two words. Body image. Alcohol. Crazy uncle Fred. (okay, well, that’s three words). Find connection. We can all talk about it, together.
Want to (re)read weeks 1-6? Week 1 was Doing Just One Thing, Week 2 we practiced Seeing the Invisible Good, and week 3 we got personal, it was All About You. week 4? It’s been a favorite #feelingsbeforefacts. And week 5? a reminder to breathe. Week 6? Seeing the Negative.
Feel like a friend would love the summer of love? send them right here to sign up!