What age did you give your kids “the talk” ?

Question

just curious.. i feel like kids now a days are doing/learning about these things so much younger, but i want to make sure i prepare my kids early enough on and give them all the right information that i’m still learning ! i never got the talk ever i kinda just figured everything out as i went lmao.

Answer

She's 3 but she's been getting parts of the talk all her life. Teaching her appropriate names for body parts, teaching who is ok to touch and specifically when they're okay to touch (meaning only bath time and diaper changes. Specifically only for the purpose of bath time and diaper changes.) Teaching her about boundaries and consent. That she is allowed to say no when someone wants to hug/kiss her goodbye. That she can tell people to stop touching her or tickling her. She can and will say no to hugs pretty often and we never force her or allow the "fine I guess you don't love me" bs to be said to her for saying no. I've kinda explained periods because she will come with my to the bathroom and has seen me changing pads. But as she gets older I'll do more in depth about that and probably about 10 or 11 kinda start the sex talk. As she continues to age I'll be open for more talks and questions or curiosities she has.

Answer

My daughter is only 8 months old, but I’ll probably give her an age appropriate talk around 9-10 or earlier if she gets her period earlier.
My mom gave me the talk at 11 when I got my period. I still remember it as she talked to me like an adult, didn’t scare me, and really educated me on pregnancy and sex!

Answer

My kids don't get "the talk." They get open conversations and learn everything as they ask questions. My 3 year old is at the body parts the basics of good/bad touch phase. My almost 6 year old is very interested in how babies get in mommy's tummy. She understands sex in a vague way and knows what sperm and egg are and that they combine to make a baby. 
What I'm getting at is you need to be open and honest with your kids from a very young age. If you're waiting until puberty to get into the nitty gritty you're too late.

Answer

Most people don’t give the talk anymore. Kids now mainly learn from school, friends, internet, etc.

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I had a very vague "talk" with my 7 yo after she was accidentally exposed to pornography (she searched "where do babies come from" and safe search was off, it happened at my mothers house, yes I was mad and handled it, don't need any comments). She is very mature for her age so I felt comfortable just hitting a few of the high notes. We will revisit the talk at an older age to fill in the gaps. We've always talked about boundaries though (from around age 5). How "safe" adults don't tell you to keep secrets and no one is allowed to touch your no-no spots, etc.

Answer

I knew some of my friends daughters have lost their virginity by the time they’re 8 years old.

Answer

I highly recommend this book for younger kids. This is part of a series that goes all the way up through the teenage years.

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Whenever they ask, probably. If they don't ask before, maybe around 10. Not really sure because I didn't get "the talk" from my parents. But I was honest with them when I became sexually active at 17 and they let me get on birth control. So they did slack on the whole "talk" business but didn't when it became time for birth control. I think them not doing the sex talk definitely backfired though because my sister was having sex (without their knowledge) at 12.

Answer

It is never too early! I always encourage parents to explain honestly all of the facts of life from the very beginning. Not a mom yet, but I will be open and honest and scientifically accurate from the beginning. Sex and reproduction are beautiful miracles and our children deserve to understand and know boundaries and when those things are or are not okay.
I suffered ongoing sexual abuse as a 4-5 year old and I had no idea what was happening or what to do about it. I feel like if I had been more prepared by my parents, I would have been better equipped to not allow it or to get their attention on it and end it sooner. It's important to explain about the proper and improper uses of those body parts as early as possible. No one wants to believe it can happen to their child, but sadly it is a possibility and you want your child to be equipped.

Answer

It’s an ongoing conversation that really started from the beginning. Appropriate names for body parts, what reproductive organs are and that they are private areas of the body. And then a lot came in his curiosity about animals and plants, and the age old “where do babies come from?” He’s 6 and understand there are different types of reproduction, mammals reproduce sexually and humans are mammals. We’re working into the difference between human sex and other animals, right now he knows that it’s associated with choosing a mate. We have plants and living in Maine we definitely see animals going at it from time to time, it’s hard to avoid explaining how life works when you don’t live very separate from nature and life working in its natural way.

What age did you give your kids “the talk” ?

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