Every year, about three million teens contract a sexually transmitted disease and one million teen girls become pregnant in the United States, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Inadequate information about sex, whether obtained from the Internet, through friends or on television shows, can cause children to become confused about sex and lead them to make unsafe decisions. Teaching your children about sex from a young age can encourage them to make better decisions about sexual behavior as they mature.
Significance
Talking to your children about sex helps them to cope with their feelings and peer pressure, according to Planned Parenthood. Children are less likely to take sexual risks in the future if they have an understanding of their own values and their families’ values, self-confidence, a positive perception of sexuality, information they need to care for their sexual health, interpersonal skills, a sense of consequences and a sense of connection to caring adults, says Planned Parenthood.
When to Start
The sooner you start talking to your children about sex, the better, according to Planned Parenthood. What you tell your children should depend on their age and level of maturity, curiosity and understanding, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Whereas a kindergartner may be satisfied to hear that a baby grows from a seed inside his mother with the help from a dad’s seed, an 8-year-old may question how the seed got there, and parents can respond accordingly, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. If you haven’t started talking to your older child about sex yet, don’t worry. According to Planned Parenthood, it’s never too late to be open and available to talk to your child when she has questions.
How to Start
If you feel awkward about initiating a conversation about sex, examine your daily routines for what Planned Parenthood calls a “teachable moment.” For example, when talking about a relative or neighbor who is pregnant, you may ask your 5-year-old, “Do you know what pregnant means?” Or if a television show depicts a child going through puberty, you may ask your pre-teen, “What do you know about changes that happen during puberty?”
Important Topics
Discussing body changes to expect during puberty and responsibilities associated with being sexually active will help your children feel secure in their bodies and eventually make informed decisions about their bodies, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Some important sexuality-related topics to discuss with your children include masturbation, menstruation, pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases and personal feelings about sex, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Conversation Tips
The way you approach the topic of sex will influence how smoothly the conversation goes. To encourage your child to listen and be actively involved in the conversation, try to assess your child’s level of comprehension and knowledge, maintain a sense of humor, relate sex to love and respect for the self and the partner, maintain a non-critical and calm discussion atmosphere, use comfortable and understandable words, discuss the significance of responsibility for actions and help your child consider the perks and pitfalls of each choice, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
