The Art of Parenting

Alice Cai (Communications), Annalisa Pao (Products)

We all remember the awkward day when we sat down and had “the Talk” with our parents. Or do we?

Many parents forego having what society has labeled “difficult” conversations about sex, gender, and sexuality with their children. This can be for a number of reasons: fearing that their child will lose their innocence, thinking that they might tell their child too much, believing that discussion of these topics might encourage their children towards unwanted experimentation, etc. While intended to be in the best interest of the child, this parenting style, which we have named the Connect-the-Dots approach, creates a rigid framework that a child is expected to follow. By not providing resources and open dialogue in the formative years of self-discovery, parents raise their child in a manner that presents numerous challenges with emotional and physical consequences.

Instead, we propose that parents should follow what we call the Blank Canvas approach. Rather than outlining a path, parents should provide the tools and foundation for their child to discover their own identity in a safe, happy, and healthy way. Parents do not have to be experts in every topic—they just need to provide an open, safe, and non-judgmental environment to have open conversations with their children.

Our interactive article is meant to persuade parents to provide their child with a Blank Canvas. It provides real stories of how children raised on the Connect-the-Dots approach were affected and provides insights into how some parents are tackling a Blank Canvas approach with their own children. The article also offers key organizations, educational articles, and comprehensive resource guides so that parents have a strong starting point to begin these conversations.

Interact with our prototype here: https://www.figma.com/proto/IQ6XEkcORTyC6dI8skvJY2/Destigmatize-Sex?node-id=4%3A28&scaling=min-zoom&page-id=0%3A1