For most people, the thought of their parents trying to talk to them about sex is enough to make them cringe hard enough to break something. It's probably why most moms and dads today don't want to bring up the subject with their own children.
I mean, we've all been there ourselves. Hearing your parents starting to talk about "two people" and "loving each other very much" makes you want to scream into a pillow. But it's a conversation that we all need to have eventually, and some think it should be happening earlier than you would think.
Isiah McKimmie is a couples and sex therapist, and she believes that all parents should be the ones to educate their children about sex, before they learn something unsafe or unhealthy about it.
According to her research, children as young as 11 are exposed to pornography, and parents should take the initiative to educate their kids in order for them to have healthy relationships.
She's even listed some tips to make the conversation easier!
Mckimmie says that the first thing to recognize is that it shouldn't just be "one talk" but an ongoing conversation that you start with your child and continue as they get older and more experienced.
Be Comforting
There's a good chance that your child has already heard other people talking about sex, and probably in secret, so they'll think that it's not something good. While it can definitely be a negative experience if it's unsafe or not healthy, they shouldn't associate sex as being necessarily bad.
Understand this, and use a comforting, confident tone when broaching the subject.
Use Correct Language
Odds are, the only experience your child has had talking about this subject is with their friends or on the internet, neither of which is going to be useful or likely even true.
Don't be afraid to say "penis" or "vagina" or any other terms when describing the human body or what people do with it.
Discuss Consent
This is an extremely important topic to bring up for both boys and girls.
Girls should know that they get to decide what they do with their bodies and who they share it with. Boys should be taught the same, and that they will have urges, but that they are not allowed to do something to someone without permission.
Teaching consent early on will help your children form healthy relationships and know when they are being mistreated later on in life.