Talking to your kids about sex is an important and necessary part of parenting. And yes, it can be weird and awkward. As long as you use age-appropriate language and resources, you can make sure kids ages have all the information they need. This award-winning book introduces tweens to gender, bodies, and relationships. Help tweens understand all those changes that are happening in their bodies with this helpful book.
How to Talk to Your Tween
Sex education books for tweens.
Help your tween navigate those tricky matters of the heart. My daughter was 11 when she went to her first school dance. I put on a brave face as she got out of the car in her polka-dot dress with a denim jacket for her signature swagger. But what I really wanted to say as she disappeared into the crowd of sixth-grade bravado was, "Wait—come back!
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What kids think about sex might surprise you, but what they're doing sexually—and when they're doing it—might surprise you even more. In a study this year of more than a 1, tweens kids between the ages 11 and 14 , commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. The parents' view? Only 7 percent of parents surveyed in this study think their own child has gone any further than "making out. The whole subject of sex is so delicate that some parents put off talking to kids about it, believing their child is still too young, or because they're not sure what to say. They "finally sit down to have the Big Talk," says Dr. Mark Schuster, chief of general pediatrics at Children's Hospital Boston, "and it turns out their teen is already having sex. They also have fewer partners. Coaching for parents helps, as well. Parents who participated in a training program about how to have those difficult conversations, Schuster reports, were six times more likely than a control group to have discussed condoms with their children.
These are common feelings. Research also shows that children who talk to their parents about sexuality are less likely to have early and unprotected sex. By talking to your tween about sexuality, you can help them develop values and healthy behaviors that may protect them from sexually transmitted infections STIs and early pregnancy. Continue to answer questions and use correct terms for vagina, penis, etc. For most children, the changes of puberty start by the age of 9 or 10 or Remember that sexuality is a much larger topic than sexual intercourse. It also includes topics such as gender, emotions, intimacy, caring, loving, flirtation, sexual orientation, and reproduction. Talking to your tween about sexuality is an opportunity to share your beliefs about healthy behaviors and relationships with them. Talking to tweens about sexuality begins with a foundation of good communication. Your preteen will feel more comfortable asking you questions about sexuality if they have been able to ask you other difficult questions while growing up.
