Children today are flooded with sexual images and content from movies, magazines, the radio and television(Ref.1, The Media). Information children receive through these mediums can often be confusing to them(Ref.1, The Media). Having the sex talk is hard for most parents, but providing your child with the appropriate answers and guidance to their questions on the issue helps them to make healthy and appropriate decisions when it comes to sex in the future(Ref.3, first paragraph).
Preparation
Step 1
Identify what you consider to be important facts feel your child needs to know about sex and their sexuality(Ref.2, Prepare, Paragraph 2). Take into consideration their level of maturity, questions they are asking and what kind of behavior they are exhibiting(Ref.2, Pg.4, column 2, last paragraph).
Step 2
Think about what questions your child might have so you can comfortably answer them when they are brought up in the conversation. It might help to think back to questions you had at their age(Ref.2, Pg.2 last paragraph continued Pg.3).
Step 3
Think about what your feelings are on the topic, and why you feel that way. Identifying your own beliefs on sex can help make you more clear when talking about sex to your child(Ref.2, Page 2, Column 3, bullet point 2).
The Talk
Step 1
Maintain a calm and relaxed atmosphere throughout the conversation, and refrain from using any sort of criticism(Ref.3, bullet points at the end).
Step 2
Try to gauge your child's knowledge on the subject and provide further information or detail when you feel they may be confused(Ref.3, bullet points at end).
Step 3
Provide only information you know to be accurate(Ref.1). If your child asks a question that you don't have an answer for tell them you will get back to them on it, do some research and provide them with the correct answer shortly after the conversation has taken place(Ref.1).
Step 4
Address issues they are going to deal with in the future and not just those they are being confronted with now(Ref.1, Anticipate The Next Stage of Development). Talk to your child about what their body is going to go through or situations they might find themselves in in the future so they feel less anxious when it occurs(Ref.1, Anticipate The Next Stage of Development).
Step 5
Encourage them to come to you when they have questions in the future because one conversation is not enough to answer all of the questions they will be confronted with. Let them know you appreciate them coming to you and being comfortable enough to do so(Ref.2, Pg.4, Continue).
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