I'm a parent who believes in teaching my children about their bodies from an early age. I use the correct terminology for their bits and pieces and I'm always emphasizing that their bodies belong to them. Their bodies are sacred and beautiful and nobody else has the right to touch them or make them do anything with their bodies that they don't want to.
Most days, I think I've done rather well with the whole 'talk to your kids about their bodies and sex' thing. If you don't count the time my then-4yr old farewelled her Dad who was leaving the house for work.
"Dada, don't let anybody touch your vagina okay? It's special and it belongs to you. Don't let anybody touch your special place, okay?!"
"Umm, okay. I won't. Thank you for the reminder."
Husband escapes and runs off to work, but first tells me off for messing with our daughter's mind and confusing her. Alright, so I may not have been as CLEAR as I could have been, sorry!
So yes, I know firsthand that the waters of health and sex education for children can be fraught with many mis-communication hiccups and hazards. How do you tackle the issue with young children? How do you WISH that your parents had tackled it with YOU?
Whenever I think you couldn't possibly get any funnier you always come up with another gem. This post is hilarious and had me laughing out loud. My parents never touched the subject of sex so I learned everything from TV, books or friends. I remember watching tv with my parents and if there was ever a kissing scene, mum would change the channel and I'd want the ground to open up and swallow me whole. Good on your for being so forthright with your kids!
ReplyDeletehahah - thats hilarious Lani! for us, we really didn't have such sex ed talks, it was taboo, but there were plenty o us girls, so information was shared among us and when the eldest had a period, WE WERE MORTIFIED. i till talk to my children about sex, not make it a mystery that one aimed to uncover, lol....
ReplyDeleteHaha! That made me laugh! I think it's wonderful how you're instilling that into your children.
ReplyDeleteHilarious! It's wonderful that you are teaching your kids so early. I wish my parents had taught me earlier to tell. They probably thought 4 was too young. It wasn't. Which is not so hilarious. Love this post. Will definitely be having this discussion. And hoping there are only ever funny heartwarming tales to tell.
ReplyDeleteLan - its not easy. I certainly didnt get any forthright practise from MY parents so a lot of times i had to hide my squirming and cringing from my kids while using all the 'appropriate terminology" for everything. Not to mention that i had to go and learn some of it first, lol
ReplyDeleteThanks Talli - and hey, Im excited for the launch of your next book!
TeineSamoa - I am psychotic about child sexual abuse and so that was my motivation for a lot of the body confidence and awareness lessons with my own children. I didnt always get it right ( as shown by the above story...lol) but i like to think i've helped to reduce the risk of such things happening to them.
LOL!!!!!!! I love your sense of humor! @LyfesLyrics
ReplyDeletewow! thank you for sharing, today I read in the paper a 5year old was sexually abused, I felt sick to my stomach and lord forbid anything of that nature ever happened to my kids.
ReplyDeleteI will definetly be having the 'talks' with my 4 & 6 yr old now, thank you.