birds and bees talk

Sandra - posted on 02/22/2009

I have two daughters 10 and 14 and used the opportunity when they saw the film in the 4th grade about their bodies. I have also been very open with my kids and answer any questions they may have especialy if its something they hear at school. I'd rather they get the answer from me, than a friend. My youngest daughter asked me the other day "what a blow job was", after I gulped, I explained it to her in very brief but accurate terms and she was suffienciently grossed out. I think its important that the parent takes a very matter of fact attitude. Sex and babies are a major fact of life and you explain it like you would explain anything else they may ask. And you do the googling, they may get some inappropriate sites.

Melissa - posted on 02/22/2009

I have been very open with my kids since they could talk. My daughter is 9 and my son is 6. I always taught them what their parts were REALLY called but they still have their own words for them which is fine by me but I know they won't be mortified in 5th or 6th grade when they hear the names in sex education.  I don't encourage exhibitionism but my kids used to run around naked and I would explain to them that their parts are private and should be covered, strangers etc. They are very comfortable with their bodies now and don't streak the house any more lol. My daughter has seen me naked on a few occassions and my son has seen daddy since he taught him to pee standing up by doing it with him. They know your body changes as you grow. My daughter just asked me 2 weeks ago about the pad/tampon commercials. She knows how a baby gets out of your belly, about the placenta, cord etc but not how they get in there. (God helps decide who is lucky enough to have babies when you're 2 years old lol). I basically told her that girls start to change around her age, hair, breasts etc. When she reached a certain weight (usually) she would start a period, that's how a girl's body starts to practice getting ready to have babies when she's a grown up. I told her the basics like once a month, the bleeding, falopian tubes, the egg etc. I said when you love someone and decide to marry them and have babies, the daddy gives you a "special gift" to make that egg become a baby. She already knows the basics of pregnancy itself but I think the actual sex thing is a bit much for her. She is my BABY after all. But she knows there something more to it than just a "special gift" from the daddy and she can ask me if she really wants to know and I did offer the explanation during our talk but all she wanted to know was the pad/tampon thing and then why you bleed so I went into it. She was very happy with her explanation. A BIG warning to you would be to make sure he knows not to tell the kids at school what he knows. Not because it's false or bad, but because you think he's mature enough to know and some kids or their parents may not be ready for this lesson yet and their parents should choose the time for that not a kid in the school yard. My daughter told a fellow kindergartener that babies are pushed out of your uterus through your vagina, elaborated on the placenta and cord etc and her mom was sooo PISSED lol. She told her babies come from Jesus' pocket and basically told me I HAD to tell her daughter that my daughter saw puppies being born on tv and assumed that was how human babies were born! Wow is her kid gonna be mad when she finds out mom lied to her lol. Any way, I hope this helps a little on how to maybe start a conversation with your son. I always start with "how much do you know about your body? Do you ever hear things at school about boys and/or girls that are new to you? I would like to explain some things to you about what you hear...etc" I want to be the first one to get to my kids about that stuff. I even told them not to correct what they do hear, just know they have the right story. Don't want to make any more moms or dads mad and those kids may have just seen an inappropriate show.

Melissa

Maxine - posted on 02/22/2009

if you are looking for books check out amazon and use "boys puberty or hygiene" in the search line, it brings up some real good books for not a lot of money. my boys loved the ones that I got them when they were that age

Rebecca - posted on 02/22/2009

After I posted, I realized how vague it was!  I have a 10 boy and want to know if anyone has a good book or ideas of how to start a conversation.

Clerissa - posted on 02/22/2009

whats the question?