It was the book that swept the nation; everyone was reading it, talking about it, blogging about it and swore that they couldn't put it down. "50 Shades of Grey", an erotic novel that captured the lusty imagination of women around the country also captured my daughter's $14.95. So now that my daughter has the book, what now?
Before You Go "There"
No, I didn't buy the book for my sprog. No, my daughter isn't under 18. In fact, she turned 18 in August. She purchased the 'pervy' book (which is what my other 18-year-old aptly named it) with the money she earned from her summer job. So I really had nothing valid to say against her having it. She is an adult now. She has every right to read, watch and absorb whatever she pleases. That doesn't mean I have to like it though. Because, truth be told, I don't.
Handling the Recap
One day, as my daughter was telling me some things about her book, she opened with, "I'm already on page 100, and there is no sex yet!" She said it as if that was a bad thing. I felt my eyes roll up in my head -- be careful with that by the way, they might get stuck if this happens to you.
Naturally, I did the most mature, adult thing I could think of in that moment. I plugged my ears and began humming the chorus to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" -- don't judge me. It was one of those mom-in-the-room moments. The moments where I make it clear that I'm not ready (or mentally capable) of handling the idea that my once "little girl" isn't so little anymore. And while we talk about most everything else with my girls, I'm not really prepared to go "there" just yet.
I'm No Prude
I'm not a prude. Sexuality is a perfectly normal, healthy thing. I have never made sex a taboo for the girls as they have grown. Yet, I find that I better prepared to deal with boyfriend drama, heart ache and break ups than I am prepared to deal with my daughter owning a sex book. And while even I can admit that is a touch on the strange side, it's the honest truth. I forge ahead, living in blissful ignorance and pretending like I don't know that my daughter is up until 2 am engrossed in the S&M erotica of the "50 Shades" series. And then, I go back to my humming.
If it were you, what would you do?
Shauna Zamarripa is a mother of three, author, freelance columnist, money guru and full-time smart aleck. Check out her ramblings on her personal blog, Miss Adventures, her stellar money advice on Penny Pinchers or follow her daily dose of snark on Facebook and Twitter.
