“the” talk part II
Filed Under Tips & Tricks | September 25, 2009
As a follow up to last Friday’s article on why children need sexual health information, here’s how to talk “the talk.”. “The talk” isn’t actually one single talk. It’s a series of talks that start with sexual health education basics in the pre-school years and progress (hopefully) right through the teenage years.
Renowned local sexual health educators Meg Hickling and Saleema Noon both suggest that as a general rule of thumb ‘a little bit more information than you think, a little bit sooner than you think’ is the best approach.
The following need-to-know checklists come from Hickling’s book The New Speaking of Sex:
Pre-school
- Scientific terms for genitals and reproductive organs;
- How reproduction occurs;
- Where a baby grows and how it is born;
- The basics about menses and nocturnal emissions as clean and healthy processes;
- Not to pick up condoms or needles.
Primary (First through Third Grade)
Preschool list plus. . .
- Following scientific words: urine, stool, bladder, urethra
- Distinction between the digestive and reproductive systems;
- Full information about menses and nocturnal emissions;
- Introduction to body changes at puberty.
The New Speaking of Sex provides more information, and checklists for all ages right up to the sexually mature adult, as well as straight answers to the questions your children will ask.
For those that would rather listen than read, Noon’s 45-minute DVD covers similar topics. Noon’s Sexual Health Education Checklist is also a good quick primer.
If you have the why, what and when, but still feel a little trepidation about flying solo then Hickling’s storybook Boys, Girls & Body Science is a great way to introduce the topic to four to seven year olds. The story follows one of Hickling’s own visits to a classroom and covers the differences between girls and boys, technical names for body parts, which parts of our bodies are private and where babies come from.
In our family it led to a lively question period, which left us feeling proud both of the thoughtful questions from our five year old, and of our own ability to navigate the topic.
Other books to read with your young child:
See How You Grow (A Lift-the-Flap Body Book) by Patricia Pearse
Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
Facts of Life (Pop-Up) by David Pelham, Jonathan Miller
It’s so Amazing: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families by Robie Harris
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