How old is old enough for the ‘sex talk’? And is my child just being stubborn when they refuse to kiss their aunty good bye? These are questions every caregiver must face as they raise children. The fear is that we will over share and traumatise our children, or we will leave them so sheltered they will find the answers out on their own (and they will).
There is no hard and fast rule for teaching a child about consent, sex and physical touch – after all, every child matures at a different rate. However, there are some guideposts between the ages of 1-5, 5-12, and 12-18 that you can follow. You’re right, there’s a lot of variation in those age brackets, so use your intuition, and their questions, as a foundation for how much to share.
As you will see in the infographic below, building the foundational concepts of personal boundaries, honouring their ‘no’ and talking about the human body will set you up for open and honest conversations as they grow. Much of this information comes from TalkToYourKids.org, who provide a fantastic guide for talking to kids about sex. Once you have read the infographic, feel free to visit their guide here for more details.
Are you raising a child or ta eenager? Would you like support from professionals who can relate to your experience? Contact Colleen on 0434 337 245, Duncan on 0434 331 243 for a FREE 10-minute phone consultation on how we can best help you, or press book now.
