A Dad's Two Brains Help Him Reject Porn

by Kristen A. Jenson, MA

Do you know you have two brains? It's true! And knowing how they work can help your kids and you reject porn.

At least that's what Brian, a concerned and caring father of two young sons, learned about himself as he taught his six- year old about the dangers of pornography.  I love how honest he is in this recent email he sent me. (Don't miss his unexpected advice to all men in the last paragraph!)

We finally bought the book Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids, since our oldest son is now six years old and just started first grade. It quickly dawned on us that this is probably when he'll start getting introduced to so many good and bad things from his peers.

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My first exposure as a child was when one of my "friends" showed me some pornography while walking to elementary school; I think it was in 2nd or 3rd grade. So I figured that if it was this easy for my friend to access it back then (in printed form), then how much easier will it be for my children?

That thought really scared me.

We definitely limit our boys with their internet access, but obviously we can't limit what their friends do.

I want to commend you for such a well-written book!  I have read it with my son once now and will be reading it more in the future.

I was impressed with how much I learned from it; I especially liked the two brain idea.

As a male human being, I must admit that I often feel attacked and tempted—sometimes on a daily basis—with whatever is presented to me by the media. Your book has given me a clearer understanding of how our brains react in such situations and has given me more strength to overcome them.

In my humble opinion, I think every guy should read this book, no matter how old they are or how temptation-resistant they claim to be.

So thanks again!  I really appreciate your work in such an important cause.

Brian Has Figured It Out!

Brian makes these great points:

• If I was exposed to porn with print media at the age of 8, my 6 year old is even more vulnerable today.
• Even six-year-olds are influenced by their peers, for good and bad.
• We may hope to control the internet in our own home, but we can’t control our kids’ friends or fellow students.
• The two brain concept clearly and simply explains how the brain reacts to porn. (Read more about your two brains here.)
• This understanding provides more strength for everyone to keep free from porn’s pull.

Whether or not a man gets hooked on porn, every guy (and gal!) must learn to navigate the highly sexualized culture we live in. And a father who teaches his kids these skills can gain strength for his own fight.

Thank you, Brian! Your efforts to protect yourself from pornography will set an empowering example for your kids!