Sex Education Can Be Easy

Sex education has never been an issue with my children. The most important thing you need to know is to look for the everyday opportunities that present themselves and act upon them.

I can remember once being in a car with one of my sons. He was only 8 years old at the time, but was sitting beside a lady friend of mine who was very large breasted. My son said to me, "hey mum, look at this", and opened his mouth like he was going to suck on the lady's breast (as he had seen me breast feed three babies by then). I was mortified and said to David, "that's not the right thing to do, David". I didn't say anything else at the time as it wasn't appropriate. Luckily my friend was very understanding about the incident.

Later on when we were at home I said to him, "so you noticed that my friend has large breasts?" I know that he was only 8 years old but he had noticed something and didn't need to be ignored. Admittedly he went about things the wrong way but he was only eight years old. So I took the opportunity to say to him, "David as you grow older you are going to notice that many of your girlfriends will start to grow breasts. It's just a normal part of growing up. And it is important for you to make sure that when talk to girls you look at their faces and not at their breasts". We had a great conversation and I didn't make a big deal of it. But I did answer all of his questions.

When my children were young I started their sex education by buying books for them. I found a great series of books for various age groups. When my kids were six I used the 6 to 8 year old book. I would read a chapter a night to them. It was a story book called "Where Do Babies Come From?" My kids would sit and listen to it as it was simply the routine they were in to at the time. As they got older we changed our tactics slightly.

Now, the books are in the book shelf for all to read whenever they so desire. I have made it a very natural thing for the kids to talk about sexual things and they feel comfortable asking questions. It is far better for you to answer your child's questions than to let them hear things from someone else, because that someone else will be their peers and peers don't always have the facts right. If you promote communication with your child they will come to you when they have questions.

Now my eldest son is sixteen and we have a great relationship. He can talk to me about absolutely anything and everything as I have paved the way for this to happen. If you want to have a great relationship with your child you must work hard to pave the way also which means making the most of every opportunity to communicate with your child about everything including sex. If you don't make it a taboo subject they will feel free to discuss things openly with you.