When the time comes to explain the birds and the bees to your child, it can feel somewhat overwhelming.
For many parents this conversational can of worms is a dreaded thought.
There are indeed many creative ways of dodging the talk for a year or two, but eventually you are going to have to sit down with your child and say those dreaded words in context …
Penis, testicle, sperm, vagina.
We can relax knowing that they will already know a couple of these words. They have seen these parts on themselves, their parents and on siblings or friends.
The egg and sperm are going to be a new concept most likely. But it doesn’t have to be an embarrassing time together, and it shouldn’t be. For they will remember this conversation for a very long time.
If you start by coming from the angle of how amazing and what a miracle conception is, you can both relax and try and be in awe of how it happens.
The intercourse itself is just one part. The cool stuff happens when the sperm encounter an egg.
When my first two children were 8, I had a sex-ed book ready to go when the conversation was on the horizon.
I must admit that it had way to much information for my liking and had icky-looking adults as pictures to boot, but we got through.
I tried to lighten the mood by joking about the funny looking ‘bits’ and we had a bit of a giggle at a page or two.
I have one child remaining to have the talk with, though he is an IVF baby.
So in effect, he will require the birds and the bees, and the IVF talk.
For a child, and everyone else for that fact, knowledge is power.
To educate your child on human reproduction in a factual, precise and at an appropriate age will do them no harm.
In fact, it can be a trust-building exercise. And if you do it right, they will feel comfortable coming to you with any questions they may have on tricky topics in their future.
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