Sex Column: What Parents Should Know

I remember the first time my mother came to visit me in my dorm during freshman year. She was excited because she missed me and I was excited because it meant a free meal. We walked into my room so I could grab my purse, and while I was huddled under my desk (my purse slid underneath), I heard a stern, “Laura Elizabeth! What is this?”
I straighten up to see what she was yammering on about, and in her hand my mother was holding an extremely incriminating… flashlight. You can only imagine what she thought it was; it did have sensuous curves after all.

After I made sure to take my time to laugh at her, my mother decided that she knew nothing about my adult life.

Personally, I liked her not knowing a thing about my adult life. I’m sure you feel the same about your parents. No matter your age, your parents will always think of you as “their baby.”

So what to do about those pesky parents? If you have a mother like mine, they’re going to want to know about your life, including your romantic endeavors. You shouldn’t hide everything, but remember not to divulge everything. You may have the coolest parents on the planet, but I doubt they want to hear about how you learned that you have no gag reflex.

I suggest that you use what I call the status rule. If you don’t want it to be your status on Facebook (where peers, teachers and future employers can see), let that story slide. Actually, Facebook can be a great guide for what to tell your parents, so that they feel involved in your life without crossing the TMI line: relationship status, upcoming events, new friends, groups you are in, etc.

And they said Facebook wasn’t educational.