This might be a question your 4 or 5-year-old child would soon surprise you with. Even at a very young age, children are curious about their bodies. As parents, how can we explain sex to our kids? Here’s how:
Prepare yourself
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Knowing that sooner or later your child will ask you questions about sex, you should make preparations. Though this might be a familiar subject to you, you still need to read and learn about the latest data and facts on sex.
Update yourself so you can appropriately use the right words when talking to your child . You might also be able to find the simplest explanation about the subject from your readings.
Use children’s books
‘The birds and the bees’ is every parent’s pick when comes to explaining sex to their little ones.
Even before your child asks you questions, you can introduce and read to them books about the human body, reproduction, sex and relationships. You should slowly make them understand these things and allow them to progress in their learning. When they are still very young, you can help them know and identify the different parts of their body.
Before they reach adolescence stage, inform them about the physical changes that will happen to them including menstruation and breast growth for girls, and semen ejaculation for boys.
There are interesting and colourful age-appropriate books that are published on these subjects. You just got to be resourceful as a parent.
Listen with your heart
Be open to his or her inquiries. If you are unsure, you can look up for the answers together. Make your child feel that he or she can always turn to you for the answers to his or her questions particularly on these complicated subjects.
Answer questions honestly and appropriately
You’ll never know at what age your child will start asking questions about sex. Your 5-year-old daughter may already ask you how a woman becomes pregnant because she sees you or someone else pregnant, answer simply– there is a baby inside mummy’s tummy!
If she continues to ask how babies are formed, explain the process in a language that your child can understand at her age. Don’t worry about leaving out the details. Just be honest and tell her the facts.
Be patient
A child or a teenager is inquisitive so don’t be annoyed when she asks one question after another. Though it is difficult and challenging, you should take the opportunity to teach her and to show the values and principles you want her to live by.
Initiate discussions
Most parents would agree there is no right time to break the sex topic to your kids. Many even try to put it off as long as they can. So when is it the right time to initiate the ‘S’ discussion?
I hope that as parents we will be able to talk to our children about the issue of sex in a simple and easy way. They’re bound to learn about it in sex education class but if and when that moment comes pre-maturely, you’re now equipped to talk about it comfortably.
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