Sex education and awareness of children:
Sex education often begins as simple anatomy lessons during the childhood years. But during the school years, your child may start asking specific questions about sex.
Where toddlers and preschoolers are satisfied with vague answers to questions about where children come from, for example, school-age children will tend to ask more specific questions about the relationship between sexuality and childbearing.
Tips for responding to a school-age child's questions about sex:
As your child's questions about sex become more complex - and perhaps even more embarrassing - he may turn to friends or other sources for information if your answers aren't enough! So, when your school-age child inquires about gender, here are some tips:
- Ask him what he already knows.
- Correct any misconceptions.
- Then provide enough detail to answer the specific questions.
- Don't laugh at your child's questions or use nicknames for your child's sexual anatomy (ie use ambiguous or indirect labels such as genitalia), which can send a signal that body parts should not be discussed.
- Between the ages of 8 and 12, children often worry about whether they are "normal"! Especially when it comes to penis size and breast size, so explain what happens during puberty for both boys and girls.
- Talk to your child about the emotional and physical consequences of sexual activity, such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, painful feelings... Discussing these issues now can help your child avoid feeling pressured to become sexually active before they are ready.
- Talk about positive emotions, and let your child know that sex can be beautiful in a relationship based on love and commitment.