Not too long ago, while doing an interview on sex and relationships, the interviewer asked me, "Don't you ever get tired of talking about sex?" Is she crazy? That would be a firm "no". I think it's because, two things that absolutely fascinate me, are sex and relationships. Since both transpire between human beings, there are always layers and surprises to be experienced. And, when it comes to sex specifically, there are also always techniques to try—things that can be done to make sex even better than it already is.
Today, that's what this article is totally devoted to—things that you and yours can do that will hopefully enhance your sexual performance and help you to accomplish a new level sexual pleasure and satisfaction. Because really, when "upgrading" your sex life is a constant focus and goal, how can you ever get tired of sex? I mean, like…ever.
1. Create a “Sex Code”
I'm thinking that most of us know what safe words are. But just to be on the safe side, it's the word that you give when you want to alert your partner that you are uncomfortable or they are going too far. Well a sex code is similar but different. To me, the best way to break it down is to take us all the way back to beeper days. Although I never had one, some of my friends did. I remember that if they had a boo, sometimes they would have codes for each other. There was a code for "I love you", "I miss you" and well, other stuff.
Yeah, that's the best way to explain a sex code. It's a set of numbers, letters or combination of both that you and your sex partner can use to send a cryptic message that you wanna hook up, that there are certain things you'd like to try (or try again), or that there is a place where you want to do these things. For instance, if there is a particular hotel that you both enjoy, the code could be the number in the street address or the number of the room that you always get. Once your brain gets used to seeing those codes, it will start to stimulate the rest of your body to get excited about what's to come. Try it. It works.
2. Bring in a Pair of Surgical Gloves
What in the world do you need a pair of surgical gloves for? Word on the street is if you fill one of the gloves with lubrication and then you place the glove over your man's penis shaft and stroke it, that can provide a sensation similar to what the inside of your vagina feels like. And why do this over simply having intercourse?
This tip isn't meant to be a substitute (because there is no substitute for yonis); it's simply a fun foreplay tool. Plus, since our hands can provide a different kind of pressure than our vaginas can, it's the kind of massage that your partner will probably really appreciate (especially if you warm the lubrication up a bit before you start).
As far as where to get a pair of these gloves, Amazon sells a pack of 100 for under ten bucks here.
3. Massage Some Unpredictable Spots
Speaking of massages, I don't know too many people who will turn down a free massage; especially if it's a sensual one that's coming from their partner. But the reason why massaging makes this sex technique list is this—the key to giving a really good one is to hit some spots that are somewhat overlooked. For instance, use your tongue to graze over parts of your partner's body where their skin is not as thick like their wrists or behind their ears. To release pent up tension, rub on his shoulder blades, behind his knees and especially his temples. When you're ready to get him sexually stimulated, never underestimate the power of touching his feet, including his toes. Reflexology experts can vouch for the fact that gently rubbing on the top of someone's feet helps to boost their libido, while massaging the outside of their big toe can trigger the production of estrogen and testosterone. Another tip is if you rub on their ankles, that can actually intensify orgasms and ejaculation. If both of you are down to touch these spots, it can trigger y'all in some of the best ways possible.
4. Do the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique
Ask any sex expert—or anyone who has great sex on a regular basis—what is needed to not only climax but feel more connected with your partner and one of the things that is going to top their list is paying attention to your breathing. Learning how to deep breathe with your partner will calm you down, put you more at ease, and eventually make orgasms a whole lot more intense.
As far as breathing techniques go, one that you should definitely try is the "4-7-8" one. What you do is sit in front of your partner (preferably naked). Next, dab a little bit of lavender or jasmine oil right underneath your nose; lavender is a soother and jasmine is an aphrodisiac. Then, both of you should exhale out of your mouths and close them. Then inhale through your noses for a count of four, hold for a count of seven and exhale through your mouths for a count of eight. If you do this 3-4 times, it will help to center you so that you are totally relaxed; it will also build up anticipation for whatever is coming next.
5. Use Some Oral Sex Condiments
Sometimes I'll sit on a counseling session with a couple where one of the spouses will say that, no matter how much they try and get into oral sex, they can never manage to get past the taste or texture of their partner. For those of us who can't relate, we might think that this is petty or even juvenile, but to a certain extent, I see where they are coming from. For some, bodily fluids are an acquired taste. Still, that doesn't mean that there aren't "work arounds" to make it easier to, well, digest.
One thing that you can try is to bring some oral sex condiments into the mix. Just like ketchup or mustard can make a hot dog taste better, honey, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, whipped cream or a combo of cinnamon oil and sweet almond oil can make fellatio and/or cunnilingus a more delicious experience too. Just make sure to put a couple of towels down (to protect your bedding) and have some warm cloths on tap (for afterwards). That will make clean up and/or sex entry a lot easier once you are done.
6. Try the Kivin Method
Speaking of oral sex, the next time your man is about to go down on you, ask him to try the Kivin method.
Don't worry, it's nothing complicated. It simply means that instead of him licking up and down on your clitoris (and vulva overall, really), he needs to move his tongue from side-to-side instead. Since this isn't a technique that is applied a lot, it will stimulate some of the nerves in your clitoris (and vulva) that oftentimes go ignored.
And since there are 8,000 of those bad boys in your clit alone, imagine how amazing you'll feel when some of those dormant once have been awakened. (This makes me think of Luke James reading thirst tweets recently. Something tells me that he knows all about this, girl.)
7. Keep Your Legs Closed
Most of us have heard somewhere that 75 percent of women aren't able to achieve an orgasm from intercourse alone. To that, I say, close your legs. What in the world am I talking about? I'm not the least bit hesitant to share that I used to have some of my best orgasms when my legs were closed. Like when a partner was penetrating me with his legs on the outside of mine, for example. The reason why this works is because with my legs closed, that gives him a greater opportunity to stimulate my clitoris and vagina simultaneously. I've even heard some women say that oral sex orgasms are better when their legs are down, straight and closer together as opposed to hiked up in the air. It might sound crazy but hey—don't knock it until you've tried it. Sometimes, the best sex happens when your legs aren't opened but closed.
8. Play Around with “Putting on the Sock”
You might've heard somewhere that you've got a greater chance of having an orgasm if you've got a pair of socks on. The theory is it works because when your feet are warm, blood flow increases and that can make it easier to climax. That's not what I mean when I recommend "putting on the sock", though. This is actually a Kama Sutra term that refers to your partner first stroking your vagina with his fingers and then with the tip of his penis before actually penetrating you. What it does is give you more time to become naturally lubricated as it heightens his arousal in the process. What it all has to do with socks, you've got me there but back in my sexin' days, I was doing this quite a bit and whew chile, it works. So yeah, I'll all for putting some socks on.
9. “Stir” His Penis
I'm hoping that this particular tip is more of a reminder than anything else. Whether your partner is well-endowed or you simply want to use his penis to find your G-spot, control his thrusts a little more by asking him to be still so that you can use your own pelvis to "stir his penis" around. He'll appreciate getting a bit of a break and you'll enjoy how you can navigate his shaft towards the parts of your vulva and vagina that stimulate you the absolute most.
10. Get into the Blossoming Flower Position
I know—it really does seem like there are a billion-and-one sex positions out here, doesn't it? But this actually isn't all that complicated, I promise. The long short of it is, next time you are in a position where your partner is on top of you and you've got a pillow underneath for extra support, right when you're at the point where you think that his thrusts can't go any deeper into you, pull back and then pull him in just a bit more. Go slow at first, then build up to a mutual rhythm. It will "hit some spots" that you probably didn't know were there and intensify your orgasms in the process.
11. Keep Your Clothes On. Kinda.
One time, while talking to a husband about what he wished he was able to experience more with his wife, what he shared was interesting—pretty simple too. "I wish my wife would let me undress her more. That way, I can decide what parts of her clothes I want to leave on and what parts I want to take off." I did some unofficial polling and discovered that a lot of men can relate to the line in Beyoncé's "Drunk in Love" when her hubby Jay Z says, "Foreplay in the foyer, fucked up my Warhol/Slip the panties right to the side/Ain't got the time to take drawers off, on sight".
When I asked the guys why this was such a turn-on, they said that between the urgency of wanting their partner so bad that there is no time to totally disrobe to enjoying the peek-a-boos of breasts spilling out of bras or panties being pulled over to the side so that sex can be had in atypical places—little moves like this can make sex feel like a new adventure, even if you've been with your partner countless times. Duly noted.
12. Play ‘Never Have I Ever’ (Do What You’ve Nevered)
Soon I'm going to pen a piece on how, just like the weather has seasons, so do married couples when it comes to their sex life. Well, whenever "fall" or "winter" roll around, something that I sometimes recommend that they do is to put their own twist on the Never Have I Ever game. The key is to listen to what neither of you have never tried before on the sexual tip and then attempt it with each other—or at least some variation of it.
I won't lie. In order to play this, you need to be secure in the fact that your partner probably has a past, and this game may enlighten you to some things that you didn't know about it before. But if the main focus is less ego and more pleasure, you'll be far more interested in learning more about your partner and figuring out ways to be their "first" when it comes to what they've never done and what they are open to finally trying—with you. Have fun. #winkwink
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
How To Orgasm With Your Partner At The Same Time
10 Things You Didn't Know About The Male And Female Orgasm
Want A More Intense Orgasm? These Tips Are Sure To Make You Cream
6 Oral Sex Positions That'll Elevate You Even When You're On Your Knees
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The origin of the word "discipline" can be traced back to the Latin word "disciplina," which means "instruction" or "teaching." Over time, however, discipline has come to be synonymous with punishment, with parents relying on shame, fear, and/or physical pain to curb undesirable behavior.
Teaching takes time, so nipping it in the bud in whatever fashion parents deem necessary (within reason) has become the norm. But is this what’s best for children? And when does it become less about curbing undesirable behavior and more about getting our licks back for offenses we feel our children should know better to do?
In my work as a parenting coach, I’ve often heard parents say, “I asked him nicely three times before spanking him. He didn’t stop doing it until I did, so clearly talking doesn’t work.”
And the parent isn’t wrong. Talking often doesn’t work the first, the third, or the even the 10th time. And the reason is directly tied to brain development.
Children cannot and do not process information the way an adult can. Auditory processing is not fully developed until a child is 14 or 15 years old. And even then, if a child has auditory processing delays or Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), they may always struggle with processing auditory commands. According to Susie S. Loraine, MA, CCC-SLP, the term auditory processing refers to how the brain perceives and interprets sound information. Several skills determine auditory processing ability—or listening success. They develop in a general four-step hierarchy, but all work together and are essential for daily listening.
Without this understanding, discipline can easily become revenge because parents will then view their child’s misdeeds as a personal slight. Instead of teaching them to do better, parents now want to show them the consequences of not doing better. This is why it's imperative for parents to discern between discipline and revenge to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND RETALIATION:
Understanding The Intent
Discipline is rooted in love and concern for the child's well-being. It focuses on teaching lessons and helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Conversely, revenge-driven actions stem from a desire to inflict pain or punishment as payback for perceived slights or disobedience. Parents should reflect on their motives before taking disciplinary actions. Ask yourself whether your intention is to help your child learn or to make them suffer for upsetting you.
Example: If a child accidentally breaks a valuable item, a disciplinary response would involve discussing the importance of being careful and working with the child to come up with a way to replace or fix what they’ve broken. On the other hand, a vengeful reaction might involve yelling, harsh punishment, or bringing up past mistakes to intensify guilt.
Maintaining Emotional Regulation
Effective discipline requires parents to remain calm and composed, even in challenging situations. It's natural to feel upset or frustrated when children misbehave, but responding with anger or resentment can escalate the situation and blur the line between discipline and revenge. Before addressing the issue, take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Example: If a child cannot follow instructions, a disciplined response would involve calmly explaining why their cooperation is necessary in working with the child to accomplish the goal. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve shouting, name-calling, or resorting to physical punishment out of anger.
Promoting Growth and Learning
Discipline should always aim to promote growth and learning. It involves guiding children toward making better choices and understanding the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Effective discipline strategies include positive reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for reflection and growth.
Example: If a child repeatedly forgets to complete their chores, a disciplinary approach would involve discussing the importance of responsibility and finding solutions together, such as creating a chore chart or setting reminders with Siri or Alexa. In contrast, a revenge-driven response might involve imposing overly harsh punishments or belittling the child, which can undermine their self-esteem and hinder their ability to learn from their mistakes.
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Building Trust and Communication
Trust and open communication are essential components of a healthy parent-child relationship. Discipline should strengthen this bond by fostering trust and encouraging children to confide in their parents without fear of judgment or retaliation. When children feel safe and supported, they're more likely to accept discipline as a form of guidance rather than punishment.
Example: If a child admits to breaking a rule or making a mistake, a disciplined response would involve listening to their perspective, discussing the consequences of their actions, and working together to find a solution. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve accusations, blame, or shutting down communication, which can erode trust and damage the parent-child relationship.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Parenting is a learning journey, and, disciplining children is a delicate balance between guiding them toward responsible behavior and nurturing their growth. By understanding the intent behind our actions, maintaining emotional regulation, promoting growth and learning, building trust and communication, and seeking professional guidance when needed, as parents we can help our children built on love, respect, and understanding.
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