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It has always been a parental role and responsibility to teach children how to make wise choices, and yet many parents are uncomfortable handling the topic of sex. They do not know what to say, how to say it, or when to start.
Since 1986, Mary Flo Ridley has encouraged and equipped parents of young children to be successful in the daunting task of guiding their child's sexual values. Mary Flo began this talk after being asked by a community organization if she would attend a conference to address this topic. Mary Flo had young children at the time, and she quickly realized that she did not agree with the message being given. She intentionally set about making a plan with her husband for how the topics of sex, babies, family, and privacy would be addressed in her family. Mary Flo noticed other parents struggling with the pressure of how to approach these sensitive topics, and decided it was important to give other parents the confidence to develop their own plan for what they want their child to know about sex.
Mary Flo is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and lives in Dallas with her husband, Dave. They have 3 children, Meg, Jill and Davis.
Comments about Mary Flo Ridley
This information was insightful, with lots of good humor thrown in.
-- Parent
Absolutely fabulous. Loved the timeline as a way of warning about bad choices that can limit their futures.
-- Parent
Not having kids myself, I am now well educated about how I might discuss sex with them. Mary Flo makes this embarrassing topic feel comfortable.
-- Future Parent
Mary Flo told us how to initiate conversation and broke the barriers for parents to talk about sexuality.
-- Parent
She has broken down this overwhelming task in a very intelligent and flexible way! A wonderful model from which to operate. Mary Flo is charming, funny, bright and warm. I wish she were my neighbor.
-- Parent
I'm a divorced father with joint custody of two girls ages 5 and 7. Learning to handle the tough questions by myself will help greatly.
-- Parent
This talk helped me to realize that even at 7 years old I am behind in talking to my child and I need to get on the ball.
-- Parent
Mary Flo's talk was a wake up call and easy to relate to. She gave us the tools to establish credibility in our children's eyes, establishing open lines of communication for their future experiences and concerns. The most impressive result of this talk was that it led to immediate action which has continued to enrich and strengthen our relationships.
-- Parent
I [now] feel empowered to talk with both of my sons (7&9) and daughter (7). Also, [Mary Flo] confirmed that what we've been doing isn't too far off track, but now I have more ideas about how to get on the track/message we want.
-- Parent
I'm a 69 year old grandmother. I wish I had heard this message when my children were young.
-- Grandparent
I learned that it's better to talk to your children at a younger age then when their older because parents are the number one influence on their kids.
-- Parent
Leaning that it is much easier it is to talk to your kids about sex over time instead of instead of one time only was very helpful to me. Thanks!
-- Parent, Iraan, TX
This talk was great! It is a tough subject to talk about but I am excited to do it the right way!
-- Parent
I really enjoyed the no nonsense, direct and to the point approach. I felt informed and prepared, not overwhelmed.
-- Parent
Mary Flo was captivating. I appreciated all the details and that she was not vague about such an important topic.
-- Parent
Mary Flo was perfect! I wasn't looking forward to this topic, but I thank God I didn't miss it!
-- Parent
I have two very small children and I didn't really know how to talk to my kids. Knowing that I need to decide my 'mission statement' helped a lot.
-- Parent
As a single parent of children (ages 7 and 9) all the material is beneficial. I am proactive, however, I feel more empowered. Thank you!
-- Parent
Thank you for the encouragement to go on the offensive, not just play the defensive, and to start early!
-- Parent
Giving examples of how you handled and answered the questions asked to you was a great help. Thank you for being so open.
-- Parent
This program explained great ways to talk with children of different ages - from a loving perspective. All parents should hear this presentation!
-- Parent
[Mary Flo's] interjection of humor is a great touch. Excellent presentation of very valuable information with wonderful insight.
-- Parent
I have an 11 year old and a 3 year old - both boys. Thank you for giving me the tools to talk with them, and to talk about this with my husband before "the talk" with our oldest. Plus, preparing differently with no fear for our youngest.
-- Parent
This message equips us to be the 'experts' and resources for parents.
-- Parent
Explaining the FACTS to your child without feeling like you are taking the child's innocence.
-- Parent
It was helpful to get a simple, straight-forward way to speak to my girls, ages 4 and 7, about sex. It seems so simple, but it is the most intimidating thing since potty training.
-- Parent
Tonight was so inspiring and helpful. Even though my boys are men, I feel empowered to re-open the topic and figure out a game plan for the grandchildren some day!
-- Parent
Giving the foundational strategy to help talk about sex (steps!) is very helpful.
-- Parent
This was so enlightening; I wish that my parents had had this information when I was a child! Thank you so much!
-- Parent
Helped me to realize I can be more open with my kids.
-- Parent, Big Lake, TX
Everything about Mary Flo's talk was helpful. I wish I'd heard her about six years ago!
-- Parent, Midland, TX
Great ideas, I wish I had heard much earlier. I now have the material to share with our parents at school.
-- Parent
Thank you for telling me that it is okay to speak to my son about sex.
-- Parent
Now I have a starting point! My girl is only 19 months, but I didn't even know how to begin this- thanks for the framework!
-- Parent
Thank you for helping me to understand that it's okay to talk to small children about sex and their bodies. I never was told about these things by my parents. I found out a lot on my own.
-- Parent
Learning how to approach my three daughters and the right words to use was most helpful. I would love to hear from Mary Flo much more. She is so helpful!
-- Parent, Big Lake, TX
I had not even thought about any of this and really needed a plan. Thanks.
-- Parent
I did not expect to be having this talk with my 7 and 9 year olds yet, but now I will.
-- Parent
Awesome! I want to share this with all of my friends who have kids!
-- Parent
The material was so helpful. I feel empowered to talk to my children about sex.
-- Parent
This talk was easy to follow and had appropriate illustrations. There was just enough information without being overloaded.
-- Parent
She is a captivating speaker-very witty, organized and informative. We continued to get positive feedback for weeks. Parents were motivated andmuch more comfortable being able to talk with their children about sex after having heard her presentation.
-- PTA Vice-President
It was interesting to learn that we need to begin with our babies and actually have the conversation grow as they grow. Thank you so very much for making the trip here.
-- Parent
Parents should become the 'loving authority' on sex. 'By design' is an important word. This is what I want my child to know about. I appreciate understanding this concept.
-- Parent
I will definitely recommend this talk and share what I learned today with all of my friends.
-- Parent
It was so helpful that she was frank and gave great straight forward information.
-- Parent
I now feel ready and confident to talk to my seven year old son. In the past I have ignored or dodged his questions when he was ready to talk. I feel now that I know what to say. He sees me as "Super Mom" right now, so now is the perfect time.
-- Parent, Iraan, TX
Awesome Program! Probably the best I've every heard. Don't change! It's great!
-- Parent
This was an excellent program! Your information has really made me feel more comfortable in discussing sex with my children!
-- Parent
Mrs. Ridley, I heard you speak over 6 years ago when I had a 6 month old baby. To this day, three children later, I still remember specific things you said in that talk. AND, my 6 1/2 year old has asked so many questions that I was grateful to be prepared to answer with advice you provided.
-- Parent
Giving real age appropriate examples and ideas of things to say to your children was very helpful.
-- Parent
The exact steps were given in such a way that I will be able to, as a school counselor, help parents when this topic comes up.
-- Parent
When my son was in kindergarten, I thought the best thing I could do for him was to postpone any talk about sex for as long possible. Then I listened to Mary Flo and what she recommended really made sense. She inspired me to talk openly to my son about sex at a very young age, so that I could be the one to shape his values and prevent him from learning any misinformation. I am so glad that I heard this philosophy from Mary Flo when my son was young. He is a teenager now, and due to her guidance all those years ago, we are able to discuss this topic without discomfort.
-- Parent
I didn't realize I should begin presenting this information so early, but I really want my children to feel comfortable sharing this discussion with me.
-- Parent
Learning about the 'sex talk' as a broken down, step by step dialogue. Now it seems like something I can do.
-- Parent
This program explained how to get started - no age is too young or too old.
-- Parent
My parents did not talk to me about sex and now, thanks to you, I know how to talk to my children.
-- Parent
I had not even thought about any of this and really needed a plan. Thanks.
-- Parent
This was a great experience. No one tells you how to be a parent, but thank you to the PTA and School for providing this meeting.
-- Parent
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