While parents cannot protect their children from life, they nevertheless can prepare them for it by arming them with information upon which to base decisions.
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Steve Chalke, in The Parent Talk Guide To Your Child And Sex, argues that research shows that most children want to know about sexuality from their own parents before hearing it from others. He also says that parents, because they care, teach children things schools may not.
He urges parents to start talking to their children about sex early. This, however, should be done bit by bit and often, making the information appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.
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“If possible, talk about sex when it naturally arises in a conversation you’re having with your child, or in a question they’ve asked. As well as saving you from the need to raise the subject out of the blue, it will help them to see sex as a natural part of life,” writes Chalke, who has also written The Parenttalk Guide To The Toddler Years, The Parenttalk Guide To The Childhood Years, The Parenttalk Guide To The Teenage Years and Sex Matters.
The Parent Talk Guide To Your Child And Sex gives parents tips on how to talk to their children about sexual abuse and what they can do to protect themselves, how to talk about masturbation and menstruation, and how to help children who feel they do not have friends of the opposite sex even though they would like to.
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The book pinpoints 12 common questions and shows parents how to talk about sex when it naturally arises in a conversation you’re having with your child or in a question they’ve asked:
- Where do babies come from?
- Do you really have sex, and must I have to do it when I am older?
- When are you too young to have sex?
- Does sex hurt?
- How do I say No to sex?
- How far should I go?
- Can you get pregnant the first time?
- What if I don’t find a boyfriend or girlfriend?
- What can I do in case I’ve made a mistake?
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The Parent Talk Guide To Your Child And Sex is an easy read and
is well illustrated with cartoons.
