Sexuality is an innate part of our human makeup that becomes awakened during our preteen and teenage years. However, some children actually become aware of their sex and sexuality much younger than the designated puberty years of 10-13 years old. Many parents make it a priority to shield their children from sexual content and forms of sexual expression that are deemed “not suitable” for children and minors, but when a child does become aware of their sexual feelings the issue arises of when is the best time to speak about the subject.
The Internet is now a staple in the lives of our youth, and is easily accessible through smart phones, iPods and tablets. Gone are the days of seeking information from libraries and elders. It only takes a click of a button for one to find the answers for what they have questions about, and when a curious child begins to have these new found feelings of desire and want, it’s natural for them to turn to the Internet for the answers they seek.
The Internet is filled with a plethora of information ranging from fact, to fiction and downright propaganda soaking in sarcasm and satire. It can be easy for a child seeking the answers about his/her body to be lead down a misleading path of false information, so the question is, when is a good time to speak to your children about sex?
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The answer to this question really has a few parts dealing with the what, when and how. What you disclose to your children about sex and when you communicate this information is just as important as how you discuss the topic. The right time to discuss sex with your child is when the questions arise: a 5 year old may have become aware of the differences in body parts from boys and girls, and at this point it becomes important to help your child understand the difference. However, because the child is still in a toddler stage, it is important to keep in mind how you communicate this information. Keeping the information on the level of anatomy and away from actual performance in a situation such as this is ideal, but if a child is older and begins to have feelings of desire, then it’s time to have the “big talk”.
Children today are becoming aware of sex at an earlier age because of the overabundance of sexual content that is available on the web. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites are flooded daily with photos of scantily clad women, and pornography can be accessed with a simple click of a button. More and more schools are removing sex education programs from their curriculum and biology class simply talks about the process of procreation, so it is imperative that parents take the lead in ensuring their children can have healthy sex lives by speaking about sexuality with their children.
So, whenever your child begins to present you with questions about sexuality, be prepared to speak to them openly and on the level of their understanding and questioning about sex. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to guide your child toward a well-educated and balanced life!
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Parenting center for more articles and tips.
To read more from our sexpert, Tyomi Morgan, click here.
