GROWING children become curious about the new physical changes taking place in their bodies, and the ways they learnt to express love and affection for each other. They may have questions about things like: where do babies come from? who gave them life and why? how babies are conceived, born and grow into adults? What is sex? what is sexuality?
Have you ever been asked awkward questions by your own kids? Do you feel nervous when trying to explain sexual matters to them? Answering kids' questions about sex is a responsibility that many parents dread. Moms and dads often feel awkward when it comes to talking about puberty and where babies come from. But the subject shouldn't be avoided. Parents can help kids develop healthy feelings about sex if they answer questions in an age-appropriate way.
There are tons of questions that come to parents mind like "How Can I Talk to My Child About Sex?" Most parents believe that their children “will learn about sex” automatically. Children of different ages have very different expectations. You are the expert on your child! The more you know about their development, the more successful you will be at answering their questions.
You might find yourself to have questions about the exact same topic – Sex Education. While Sex Education is supposed to be a taboo subject, still, it is a topic that everyone needs to know as it is important for healthy growth and development of young ones.
To the parents, it is important to know that they should speak with their children at a younger but appropriate age. As you can see complex human sexuality is something that cannot be understood in a day but by talking to your child and discussing it he or she will feel comfortable and if anything happens they could talk about this subject.
When dealing with a sensitive topic, it is best to always use the appropriate language, tone and approach. If your child is curious, you must be prepared with an answer. The more openly you can talk about sex and sexuality in your family, the better equipped your children will be to make healthy choices.
Use gender neutral language and allow her to use her own words instead of trying to explain. The more she knows, the better it is for her later in life. Explain that everyone has their privacy and respect that. Be very clear if someone tries to molest you then they are breaking the law and they will be punished, they can still go to jail even if you do not tell on them. As sex is a taboo subject many children may try to experiment with each other but that is normal curiosity and should not be viewed as a negative thing unless it becomes abusive or uncomfortable in some way. It’s also important to explain that being gay isn’t an illness or something to be worried about because people need to feel happy with who they love, whatever makes them happy no matter what sexuality or gender. Even parents must be open about these things so that a child does not grow up thinking that these thoughts are wrong and decide to commit suicide. You will have your child for only a short time so make sure you find the time to talk about everything possible in life, there’s no point in avoiding a tough topic because of its taboo status.
Child sexuality is a sensitive matter, and one that should be approached with care. As such, parents should hold positive attitudes towards their children’s development, encouraging them to think critically along the way.
Be frank with your kids and answer their questions clearly and honestly.
It is important that parents take on the role of sexual educators of young children. It gives them the chance to recognise that they are a source of information and support when it comes to these matters. And they will be a trusted source of information as they grow older, giving parents an opportunity to develop a trusting relationship with their children.
The questions that your child will be interested in will depend on their age. So, here is a list of topics that can help parents and kids get started.
Promptly answer all their questions and positive attitudes will give you that have to be transmitted and because it is already too late.
Also read: Are you a parent or a friend to your child
