10 Tips For Talking To Kids About Sex

It’s more than likely that you’re not comfortable with giving “the talk” to your kids and you’re in need of 10 tips for talking to kids about sex. Relax--it’s completely normal to be nervous and bent out of shape. Yes, talking to kids about sex can be awkward and you want to send the right message, but it’s something that every parent needs to do and do well. If you’re having trouble going about this matter, use some of these tips for talking to kids about sex and it should help put you more at ease.

1. Talk to your kids about sex as early as possible. Sex is natural and it’s okay if young children learn a little bit about it at a young age. This will soften up the tone for their later years when talking about sex will be more relevant.
2. Be open if your child wants to talk about sex. If your child approaches you on a Saturday afternoon with a question about sex, don’t let it throw you off balance. Avoiding the subject or telling them that you can maybe talk about it later is not a healthy way to respond. Be open to the subject at anytime, anywhere.
3. When planning on talking to kids about sex, don’t think of it as a one-time lecture. Instead, think of this special talk as an ongoing conversation that can be revisited at a later point in time.
4. Avoid providing your children false information. If you don’t know the answer to a question your child has asked you, simply tell him/her you don’t know right off the bat, but you’ll find out. It’s best that they don’t walk away from the conversation with inaccurate information.
5. Don’t react in a startled manner if you child approaches you about sex. This could leave your child feeling embarrassed and he/she will remember your reaction when he/she wants to initiate future talks.
6. Begin the conversation by asking your child what he/she knows about sex. This can give you a good starting point for talking to your children. You can listen to what they have to say, correct their understanding if need be and encourage them to ask questions if they have any.
7. Whatever you do, don’t break out statistics and graphs for younger kids. Chances are, they won’t know what to make of it all and they’ll be left feeling overwhelmed. Keep it casual. You’re not doing a presentation or pitching a new product.
8. Try not to get overly serious. The last thing you want to do is frighten your children. Talking to kids about sex is really hard to do without feeling compelled to really drive the point home. Remain calm and collected about all subjects covered in the talk. However, refrain from laughing or showing amusement if you think something’s cute or humorous. Even though sex is not the most horrible thing on earth (and it’s definitely far from it), you want to keep a neutral tone and environment.
9. Try not to refer to body parts as “down there” or with cute names. It’s very important that you be straightforward and provide direct explanations of things, so that there’s no beating around the bush going on.
10. Lastly, refrain from using yourself in examples. This is probably one of the best tips for talking to kids about sex. Remember that your kids would probably prefer not to picture you in a sexual setting.