“Did I Say Too Much? Did I Say enough?”: Balancing the Competing Struggles Parents Experience in Talking to Their Children About Sex-Related Topics

ABSTRACT Parents are often the first-line resource for their children regarding relationships and sex-related topics. Although there has been increasing research on difficulties parents perceive surrounding these conversations, less research has been done to assess the complex personal experiences and perceptions parents navigate surrounding open, honest, and comprehensive sex-related talks with their children. The qualitative study included 78 U.S. parents/guardians across 12 focus groups discussing their experiences and communication surrounding sex-related topics with their children. Using the constructivist grounded theory approach we found that parents are trying to navigate a balance between four competing struggles in conversations about sex-related topics with their children, including: (a) sexual education and overexposure, (b) family values and breaking the cycle, (c) accurate information and influencing sources, and (d) parent control and child autonomy. Our findings offer insights into parents’ common struggles, inform future research, and promote more meaningful parent-child communication about sex.