Too Young To Talk About Sex

My five-year old wants to know where she comes from.. is it time for "The Talk?"

- Sewela Langeni

In this day and age where children are exposed to so much in the media and in their social environment, parents have to constantly ensure that their voices occupy a larger space in their children’s minds, especially when it comes to sexual education. Regardless of how uncomfortable it may be to have “The Talk” with our children, it is universally accepted that this conversation should begin at home. This is the best way to buffer out all the noises, myths and peer pressure that our children will most certainly face in the outside world.

THE RIGHT AGE TO START TALKING

The question remains as to what the right age is for parents to start talking to their children about sex and sexuality. Experts say that parents should begin engaging their children in discussions around these topics from the ages of four or five years. A quick survey from a few parents offered loud and clear feedback: parents are downright nervous about having “The Talk” with their children. Most of the parents questioned felt that five years of age was way too early for them to start talking to their children. They worried about “interfering with their children’s innocence” around the topic. They battled with maintaining a balance between sharing enough to satisfy the child’s curiosity and bombarding them with too much information which may not be age appropriate.

Even though there is no specific age around when is the right time to start talking to your children about sex, research shows that the sooner parents start engaging their children about the topic, the better. But instead of jumping knee deep into the topic of sex, parents should start “The Talk” in phases, adding more detail as the child progresses through the various stages of life.

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