A photo: Getty Images Explaining to the child where the children come from, you need to tell the truth, only it must be adapted to the age of the curious little man. What, when and how to explain, we asked the sexologist. Olga Knyazev, sexologist
A single answer to the question of whichage should begin to talk about it, no. But to begin to talk with children in the framework of sex education is definitely necessary before the onset of puberty. At this time, they need to be prepared for more serious and complex topics. Unfortunately, many adults themselves are not properly educated in such delicate issues, which is why they cannot help their children in time. Therefore, parents themselves should think about the issues of literate sex education. After all, this delicate conversation one way or another will necessarily affect the child psychologically. What does the child answer the question, where did he come from?It depends on the age of the child. You should not cause a heightened interest in this issue, but do not try to protect the child from entering the forbidden zone by shouting “It's too early for you to know about it!” Or “It's a shame to ask about it!”. It only inflames children's curiosity. Children will satisfy him from random sources: in the yard, from peers, etc. It is enough for preschool children to tell the truth, without going into details: "Your mother gave birth to you." If there are more questions, then answer that “from the tummy”, “in the maternity hospital”, etc. With primary school children, you can read special educational literature for their age together. With adolescents, the conversation should be more specific and informative. Here it will be necessary to explain the causes of physiological changes, the issues of the relationship between the sexes, sexual behavior, to talk about protection from sexually transmitted diseases. It is very important to create a sense of responsibility for their health and behavior, to talk about the need to plan their family life, and so on. Teenagers should be explained that at their age there is an intense physical and mental development that requires a huge expenditure of energy. Early sex life is a great burden for the fragile organism, it depletes the young body and can lead to infertility. For girls, early sex life poses a real threat of pregnancy. Pregnancy at this age is a serious challenge because of the immaturity of many of its systems. The lack of knowledge about the methods and means of contraception leads to the fact that the majority of sexually active young people use interrupted sexual intercourse as an prevention of unwanted pregnancy - an unphysiological and ineffective method. Unlike adults, adolescents use contraceptive methods much less often and more an infected partner is less likely to receive medical care during the development of the disease. Diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases in the early stages are very important for the prevention of complications and infertility. Another issue that is important to touch on is sexual abuse. Nearly half of the rape victims are teenagers. The rapist is known in 50% of cases. The consequences of rape can manifest themselves in the form of physical injury and an adverse psychological reaction - from a state of panic to complete withdrawal into oneself. The long-term consequences of sexual assault are widespread, in these cases it is necessary to provide psychological assistance to overcome the crisis caused by rape. Do you need to talk with your child about puberty, if he already learned everything from his peers?Often after such information teenagersan incorrect, distorted idea of the intimate side of human relationships arises. Therefore, young men are poorly informed about safe sexual behavior, about family planning, and are afraid to take responsibility for the onset of pregnancy in their partners. It is important to explain to your child what sexual health is. This term implies not just the absence of disease, but a positive and respectful attitude to sexual relations, the ability to safely lead a satisfying sexual life, the absence of coercion, discrimination, and violence. Sexual health is interconnected with sexual culture. Boys should be taught to have a respectful, caring attitude towards girls. A deep sense of motherhood should be cultivated in women.
