Talk to Young Kids About Sex

Introduction
Parents and other adults often have trouble when talking to young children about sex, but failing to do so means that children are learning about this complex social function by themselves. Here are some ideas for breaching this sensative topic without either party suffering too much embarrassment.

Steps

 * 1)  Find the appropriate time and place.  Finding a time when you are comfortable and unlikely to be interrupted will make this task easier.
 * 2)  Treat the young person with respect.  This means recognizing that they are completely ignorant about the topic.  It also means using language that is understandable without being unneccessarily graphic.
 * 3)  Allow them to influence the conversation.  Listen to their questions and comments. Be willing to ask them questions to determine the direction in which they seem interested in seeing the conversation go.
 * 4)  Watch their reaction.  Look for signs of embarrassment or discomfort so that the conversation does not become too difficult to continue.

Tips

 * Be prepared to unteach inaccurate things that the young person has learned. Try to have sufficient facts at your disposal in order to show how the inaccuracies are untrue.
 * Decide in advance who is best to communicate this important lesson to the child. Mothers often seem to inherit this responsibility regardless of whether the child is female or male, but each child is unique, and each parent has a unique influence and level of communication with that child.