Teach Kids About Sex

Answer
You are to be commended for being pro-active in teaching your children about this very sensitive but important topic!

Focus on the Family Ministry, founded by Dr. James Dobson, has great resources for teaching children about sex and sexuality. Check out this link.

Here are a few important guidelines to keep in mind when choosing books or resources to teach your children about sex:

• Be sure the resources describe sex as being part of the love-making between a husband and wife (rather than an unmarried couple).
• Resources should use proper terminology for body parts or other aspects of the sexual act. This shows your children that God's design for sex and reproduction is to be respected.
• Illustrations are very helpful for children to understand. Just be sure your resources only include simple drawings rather than very realistic illustrations or photographs. We used a pop-up book allowing the illustrations to be 3-dimensional. This made it easier for us to explain about body parts and sex in a way that our children could understand.

Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind when teaching your children about sex:

1. Begin early. In today's society children are exposed to information about sex at a very early age. Make sure that you are available to give them the correct information!
2. Initiate conversations with your child instead of waiting for them to ask you.
3. Create a comfortable and safe environment to talk.
4. Communicate your own values.
5. Give opportunity for your son or daughter to ask you questions. Listen to them.
6. Be honest. If you feel that a specific question your child has is best answered when they are older, that's okay. Don't make up an answer. Let them know there are some things that you'll talk to them about when they're a bit older.
7. Use everyday opportunities to talk. Your open attitude will make your child more comfortable in asking you questions.
8. Keep talking about it. You want your child to feel comfortable talking with you about this important subject even as they become a teen.

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