Telling your child about sex.

Telling your child about sex is one f the most difficult part of parenting. A child’s first escapade with sex does not happen with puberty, it starts as early as pre-school years. Well when is the right time to tell our children about sex or should we wait for them to ask us is the most common dilemma that most parents come across.

 Parents of children in the age group of 1 to 7 years need to understand that since children learn by imitation, they need to see them having a positive concept about hugging and kissing. They will imitate what ever they see, so please let your child sleep separately, especially when you and your partner are indulging in sexual activity. A positive concept abut genitals should also be taught. You should not make them feel that genitals are dirt and something that hey should be ashamed about. Girls should be taught to sit properly without showing their panties and in the same way boys should be taught about not touching their private parts.

 As a parent it is a duty to keep a child safe from sexual abuse. It is important for them to teach them about good touch and bad touch. It is important for us to teach them that a child should not allow anybody to touch their private parts. It is only mummy and daddy who can touch it when they are cleaning them up. If any body else touches their genitals it is important to let mummy know about it.

 When a child is playing ‘mummy daddy’ or ‘doctor doctor’ with his friend who is of the opposite sex then keep a watch on it. It is important that our response to such behaviour is positive. “Don’t scold your child for playing such games. Instead ignore it and don’t encourage it or laugh over it. Distract them with other activities,” says psychologist, Dr Anjali Chabria.

 When a child is fourteen that is when he approaches puberty it is a very crucial age and it is very important for the parents to keep a watch on his activities. Lot of bodily changes takes place during this time so keep an eye on what your child is reading, talking to his friends and watching. Give your child the freedom to ask you questions. It is then only a child can develop a positive attitude towards sex. Student counsellor, Sunita Sinha says, “If a child is brought up with a kind of focused understanding about sex, so by the time he or she reaches the age of puberty, he or she will have a healthy concept about sex. And that when the right time comes sex becomes a healthy need for the body. This is the time to educate them about sexually transmitted diseases, masturbation, AIDS and HIV and pregnancy and condoms. Make your child independent and at the same time put the onus of responsibility on him.” It is the duty of the parents and also to some extent the teachers to make sex education a part of growing up years of our child. Do not allow sex to rear it’s ugly head one day instead make sex a positive and healthy development in a child’s life.