Photo by Leanna Cox, Light Inspired Portraits
Written By Vanessa Forbes
Motherhood is amazing, exhausting, daunting, precious, tireless, often underappreciated and overburdened and one of the most important roles we play in life. We have a crucial responsibility in how our children understand concepts like empathy, joy, forgiveness, respect, and love. We struggle to balance the needs and responsibilities of self, wife, and mother.
Parenting In The Midst of a Hyper-sexualized Culture
As moms, our task is nearly impossible. Keeping our child’s innocence while educating them in the truth of the new “stranger danger” as well as the underlying cause. We deal with sex trafficking and sexual exploitation on a daily basis, and we know about its prevalence in our communities. But what about the underlying reason for the demand of child sex trafficking. We can work tirelessly to save our children from the atrocities of sex trafficking, but we would be remiss if we forget about the cause for demand. Pornography fuels the demand for sex trafficking.
“Pornography trains men who watch pornography to abuse and demean women: it shows men how to treat women, including how to be a sex buyer. Pornography teaches women that it is their position in life to tolerate that abuse. Boys who learn about sex from watching pornography—and that is most of them—are not taught about loving or intimate sex.” – Dr. Melissa Farley
How To Talk About Pornography With Young Children
As a mom of two, I highly recommend starting the conversation with a fantastic book called Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Jr. by Kristen A Jenson, MA. This book is appropriate for children ages 3-11 and is an amazing conversation starter. It begins with how interesting and beautiful “good” pictures are and then moves into shedding light on the idea of “bad” pictures and what to do if they see bad pictures. It is written specifically for the safety of our children and gives the opportunity for children to be open and honest about what to do if they see bad pictures.
Moms Are A Force To Be Reckoned With
When I become overwhelmed by the responsibilities of motherhood, I remind myself of the mothers featured in the documentary I Am Jane Doe. These mothers fought against the online website that sold their underage daughters for sex called Backpage.
Moms were the fuel that ignited the movement that essentially brought down and ended Backpage.
Mothers are a force to be reckoned with and while we go through our day to day responsibilities we also can make an incredible change. You are a mother, you are strong, you are valuable, you make a difference, and you are a life changer.
Vanessa Forbes holds a B.A. in Psychology from Messiah College as well as an MBA from the University of St. Thomas. Working in diverse environments, from children’s mental health to accounting in Oil and Gas, has given Vanessa strengths in organization and procedural management. The Lord’s passion in her heart has driven her not only to reach those enslaved by sexual exploitation but also to work towards shutting down every establishment being used for sexual exploitation in Houston and the surrounding areas.
