Ben: Being a Virgin is a Blessing

Ben thinks that deep down Cyrene is glad that he and Jewel are so concerned about her.

By Ben Tankard Dec 16, 2013, 10:07 AM ET

Bravotv.com: How did you meet Kandi?
Ben Tankard: We have always been a fan of Kandi's since we are both in the music business. Jewel thought it would be great to have an outside speaker come speak to her Millionairess book club to share insights on business pursuits.

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Bravotv.com: Your daughter is 17-years-old and is still a virgin. Do you worry that pushing her too much to not have sex will backfire?
Ben: No. I believe you should aim your child like an arrow. There are all kinds of obvious negatives associated with being sexually active at an early age, but no one seems to be able to produce the statistics of the downside of exercising self-control and utilizing Godly timing. Being a virgin should be considered a blessing, not a curse. She will have the rest of her life to "get busy," no need to add sex to the list of teen distractions.Bravotv.com: We learned why Benji and his wife got married at such a young age. Is this why you are so protective of Cyrene?
Ben: Partly. The thing about parenting multiple children is you learn along the way and try to do better when you know better. It is not that you love or favor any child more than another, it's just that you have more parenting skills the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th time around. If you think Cyrene is sheltered, just wait until you see how we smother Diamond as she grows up!

Bravotv.com: Cyrene makes a comment on how the strictest parents have the sneakiest children. Do you think she is talking about herself?
Ben: Yes! But the bible says, "Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are grown they will not depart from it." This means we do all we can, and we leave it in God's hands and trust that she will make Godly decisions. Despite her complaints, she is glad we are as concerned about her as we are, after all, she has her sisters and brother as living witnesses to the results of decision making outside of parental input.

Bravotv.com: Do you think that you are too hard on Josh?
Ben: No! Cyrene is the one that complains about us grilling him. Josh actually likes the attention and does a good job of holding his ground. He is a very respectful young man...however, talent isn't everything and kids need direction. Even Michael Jordan had a COACH.