I believe that parents should begin to talk to their children about sex and their body sooner than many may thinko, not necessarily sitting down with a small child and giving him or her one long uncomfortable talk on sex, but the conversation can be introduced slowly as they grow.
If parents fail to educate their children, the internet, friends, older kids and strangers will.
But really, you may not appreciate their outside lessons.
I think that little kids should learn first about their bodies, they should be able to correctly name their body parts, know that some parts of the body are private and that no one has the right to touch them inappropriately.
They should also be aware that if someone makes them feel uncomfortable they can speak up and let a trusted adult know.
This sort of discussion should not be considered disreputable.
Kids are inquisitive, They have a lot of questions, If they ask about their bodies or sex, they have asked a good question and rather than getting angry or call them dirty for asking , because that will make them not to not ask their parents again.
However, the question will not go away.
They will just look for someone else to answer it.
And that person may not be a good person.
The discussion should follow the child as he gets older, a small child should not be treated as a teenager, the information should be presented in an age appropriate manner but it should still be honest.
There's a lot of information to give a teenager, consent, peer pressure, pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, online safety and the consequences of what they choose to do with their bodies.
They also should learn that no one is owed sex.
Not because they are on the dating scene.
Not because someone gave them a gift.
Not due to being together for many years.
Consent matters.
I also think parents should talk about the kind of people children should be careful around , not everyone who appears friendly is safe, sometimes, the people who harm children are people they already know.
Teaching children about Safety must not only include the dangers of strangers.
Parents, of course, should be cautious when conversing with their children.
There is more to it than fear.
When a child is only told "sex is bad don't do it" they may be too frightened to ask any questions when they really need assistance.
What you want is to impart knowledge, not fear.
Parents ought to set up a homly environment that allows their kids to return home and say that “Something happened to me,” and not instantly be held accountable for what they have said.
After all, the truth is, kids will mature and make their own choices.
It is not possible to defend them against everything forever.
We can ensure they have the knowledge to identify danger, establish boundaries, and to keep themselves safe and to seek help when needed.
For me, the sex talk shouldn't be one serious conversation that happens once and is never mentioned again.
It should be an ongoing conversation.
As the child grows, the questions change, and the answers should change too.
Avoiding the conversation may be uncomfortable and can expose children to people and information that can lead to misinformation.
Now is the time to have that talk.
Start early.
Be honest.
Be patient.
Most importantly, tell your child that he or she can always "come to you".
“When parents don't speak about these things, then life and the outside world will speak for them.”
And in truth, parents might not be happy with their child's learning.
Image Credit : Chatgpt
