How should Catholic parents teach their kids about consent? We want more for them than that. We utterly fail our children if we teach them only about consent, without any other understanding of what sexuality is for and why they are so valuable as human beings. Reducing sexual health to mere consent is just another form of degradation.
Or a damaged psyche, or a broken heart, or a shattered sense of self-worth. An education in consent is not enough, but we must teach them about consent. But too often, Catholic parents dig in, just telling kids to save sex for marriage, period. They send their daughters out entirely unequipped. Teenage girls often put their own best interests last, in hopes of minimizing damage or offense for everyone else.
So here is what Catholic parents should teach their daughters about consent:. Why would you? Yes, he can stop. Of course he can stop. What is he, a defective robot? If you consent, you do it on purpose, consciously. A hymen is just a membrane. We hear a lot about protecting virginity, but sex is about so much more than vaginal penetration. There are non-PIV acts which feel important and powerful because they are โ and they belong within marriage, just as much as intercourse does.
You, on the other hand, are made in the image of God, and should not submit to degradation from anyone who professes to care about you. Listen to your gut. If a situation feels weird or fishy, trust that God-given instinct and get the hell out. And if someone throws a tantrum over your alternative plans, you can be reasonably certain your good was not at the top of their list of priorities. A good man will value your comfort as well as your consent.
There is never any good reason for a guy to mention what his previous girlfriends were willing to do. Love lets people be. You never owe a guy sexual favors just because he does something nice for you. If a guy wants to spend time with you and you like him, be nice to him. But a date is not a contract.
