What to Know
Even for those of us who send our children to schools where sexual health and reproduction will be covered in health class, the time does eventually come for every parent to talk to their kids about sex. For so long, this existed as one (mildly embarrassing) sit down conversation about the birds and the bees, which can be awkward for everyone involved.
But things are changing, and according to what expert (and former teacher) Megan Michelson said in a new Instagram video, many parents are approaching the sex talk all wrong.
Megan shared the biggest mistake she notices parents making when it comes to the sex talk.
“The number one mistake we see parents make is starting too late,” she said about the birds and the bees conversation. “Most parents feel such dread when this topic comes up that they just avoid it.”
It’s normal to feel this way — after all, it can definitely be awkward, sometimes, more for us as the parents than for the kids. But it also doesn’t have to be quite as big of a deal as some people make it out to be… especially if they take Megan’s advice and start early.
Instead, there should ideally be a series of conversations.
She continued, “the reality is they’ve missed so many opportunities to have age appropriate conversations to build a solid foundation.”
“Now, later is better than never,” she added, “But it definitely starts sooner than you think.”
This strategy would mean that there’s never one big conversation to dread having, but how early are we talking?
When should parents start talking about sex with their kids?
While Megan didn’t specify a particular timeline in her video, pediatricians with the Mayo Clinic have said that you can start laying the groundwork around age 5 by talking to your kids about consent.
“For all families today, the discussion on body basics and consent should start at 5,” pediatrician Dr. Asma J. Chattha (who is also a mom) said. “The discussion on pubertal changes can start between 7 to 9 years of age, tailored to their emotional maturity and also signs that they might be early bloomers. And from there, you keep building knowledge until it meets experience.”
It might feel a bit strange to have these conversations at first, but that feeling will pass with time, and eventually, your future self will thank you for starting early — and there’s a good chance your kid will, too, when they’re old enough to realize it.
