A question to parents of all religions: Do you talk about sex with your children?

Question

What is your approach? Do you wait the right moment to say "come here, we need to talk"? Or you just wait for your kid to ask questions? What is your experience?

Answer 1

In my experience sex should be talked about as you go along little bits of honest information given in small easily understood age appropriate bits one bit building to the next bit.. Most kids start asking the initial questions by age 2-4 starting with "Where do babys come from." answer honestly and age appropriately "Babys come from inside a special place in Mommy's tummies where the baby grown for 9 months before it's ready to come out."

After the first question kids move at different paces wanting to know information.. Answer the questions as they come up.. By answering truthfully and leading the discussion to the next question with your answer the talk come naturally over time.. There should never need to be a "Come here we need to talk" moment if it's done right your child will learn a little at a time..

Make sure to avoid making the topic of sex taboo if your child has a question stop and answer it..

Make sure to include your moral stance I.E. I would rather you wait until you are older/married, along with the if you don't here are the birth control/ disease control facts (condoms, spermicides, etc.) It is part of a parents responsibility to teach morals as well as protect leaving either out is dropping the ball.. A parent needs to realize there is a chance their child will not follow their moral code and protect them...

Be sure to educate yourself so the information you are giving them is correct.. If your child sees that anything you have told them is a lie or half truth your credibility on the subject is gone..

Your child may ask questions that you don't have an answer to in which case don't be afraid to say "I don't know but we can find out." Then find out.. The fact that you have been truthful is more important than being the sexpert..

Try not to be embarrassed.. and remember the internet can be a great source for diagrams of reproductive systems should your child want such details.. Be sure to look up diagrams ahead of time as the internet searches can lead to some pornographic sites as well as the diagrams you really want not exactly something you want popping up with a child next to you at the comp..

Answer 2

When I was kid, I just remember knowing. I never had the "talk" with my mom, I can't remember ever not knowing-- there's no point in the big "talk" as long as you are open and honest with your kids throughout life. Once you start hiding the truth from them when they ask, and once you start giving a kid a sheltered life, you do it more and more. They think life is easy and takes no effort or anything at all. Then they get out the door at 18 and have no clue about the real world, and they crash, end up pregnant, or get a disease.

So I'm going to be totally open with my kids and tell them when they ask. When they want to know, I'll tell them. Most kids start asking young and they do have many years to ask everything they want. And when a kid is raised open, they're not embarrassed to ask. As long as they know about safe sex by the time they're old enough, that's the most important thing. Open and honest-- sheltering a kid never comes out good.

Agnostic.

Answer 3

The wife (mainly) taught my daughter the 'secrets' of life a long time ago. She is 14 now and has a full understanding of how things happen.

She apparently knew more than the teacher at school as the teacher contacted us about this. Not in a bad way but as a congratulatory mode.

Personally, I approach this with the belief that my daughter is advanced enough to understand such things. She knows that we will answer her questions honestly and we welcome her questions.

Kids today are not like we were so many long years ago. This is a whole new age with situations totally unexpected by many adults.

Open communication on an honest and truthful level is required now, more than ever before.

This works for us! Maybe not for everyone else though.

The Ol' Sasquatch Ü

Answer 4

Yes. I talked to them before they reach the reproduction age (pre-teens). When I was a kid my parents never talk about sex or drugs and I believe was an error. If you don't teach your children's they will learn from the friends at the school or the street. For my surprise my kids accept the concepts with an open mind.

Good luck.

Answer 5

One must talk to his kids according to their mental capabilities.Sex is private affair as such one should talk or discuss it with his kids when they ask you for the guidance, but if you keeping talking sex to your kids their sexuality shall be unnecessarily provoked and some the kids are liable to run for its persuit.Definitely sex is the most important activity and prime function of an adult as it ensures the continuity of race, it requires privacy and concentration as the attributes of offsprings are vulnerable to feelings and emotions at that time.Like sexuality, the modesty is another attribute of human conduct, you are to modulate both attributes in plausible manner, otherwise you are going to make a mess of the social climate.As a responsible grown-up you are well aware of your duties and responsiblilties but a kid who has no other responsibilty, they are prone to induge into sex more ferverently and lose interest in their studies and spoil their career.The overly ignited sexuality of the modern days is resuting in use of pills to abort or waste the embryo which had all the rights to come into this world.This early stage ignition of sexuality is turning the parents into killers or murderers.

Answer 6

As a follower of the pagan way of life fertility is embraced
as new life is a gift to further generations and pass on teachings to. The responsibility of looking after a life is what must be addressed. Can't wait to be a grandmother.

Answer 7

we don't have children yet, but we have inherited a book "where did i come from"

it's written for young children and includes cartoon drawings of all of the parts, explains sex and how babies are made. i think it's great and we plan to use it and be honest and open about sex.

Answer 8

No words are stronger than the touch of a hand.

That's a sad fact of life for your 11 year old.