02 November 2023 , 14:04
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As children get older, they're going to learn all about dating, relationships, and sex, but it can be tricky for parents to know when the time is right to discuss these topics with their little ones.
According to a TED Talk by Dr Robin Buckley, girls begin to develop the desire for mild sexual contact between the ages of 11 and 14 and tend to start acting on these desires between 15 and 19. As such, Dr Buckley told how she gave her daughter a vibrator when she was 13.
And she's not the only mum who planned to do so. A fellow parent has penned an anonymous open letter explaining why she will be making a similar choice.
The unnamed mum, from Australia, wrote into Kidspot.com.au to share her thoughts on the matter, saying: "I'm planning to buy my teenage daughter a vibrator. Before you hit the comments and prepare to crucify me, hear me out."
She went on to share how as a child, her mother had always spoken about masturbation as something that was 'shameful' as such, when she first started dating she didn't really know what felt good for her and her first time having sex was unpleasant and pressured.
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"Looking back, I think that if I had been empowered to explore and understand my own body, I might have been in a better position to assert myself during that first sexual encounter," she said.
The parent has since come across Dr Buckley's TED talk, which she confessed caused "a wave of nausea" to come over her as she listened. The expert explained during the talk that she wanted her daughter to feel "safe" exploring her body and told how masturbation can help girls "reduce stress, ease headaches and alleviate cramps".
While listening to the talk, the other mum was reminded of her own early sexual experiences and how she didn't want her two daughters to go through what she had been through. She added: "I want them to be able to come to me with questions, without fear or shame. To have an open, honest, loving relationship where they feel completely supported and loved unconditionally.
"So, if my teenage daughter has questions about masturbation, I'll explain to her that it's a completely natural, normal part of life. And if she happens to ask me to buy her a vibrator, I'll be off to Sexyland in a jiffy."
Do you agree? Let us know in the comments below.