Should Parents answer their children's question about sexual topics honestly?

[Brenda Creech]

Parents should be indeed honest, but in no way be explicit in their explanations. A child may be curious as to how the human reproductive system works, and parents may give their children a summary of the function of the system. However, the major problem arrives when your teen daughter asks you if she's old enough to have sex. How can one, that is a father, have the courage to sit down his daughter and give her a lesson on the dangers of adolescent sex without saddening her?

I guess that's up to the parent, though it is a really difficult problem to discuss. The best thing you can do in that situation is educate them on how to be safe if they DO decide to have sex. Teach her how to have safe sex, avoid teenage pregnancies, and how to say no in many situations. This would probably make her feel like she can come to you as a parent and source of information and comfort. If you want to completely bar her from having sex without reasoning, it'll likely make her want to more, or just in secret. For this reason, for our children, we have to be honest in our reasoning. I've heard the saying that children are adults, just without the experience. Children are a lot smarter than we give them credit for! Again, the best thing a parent can do, is just to be there for your child and not judge them harshly.

Very well said! It can be awkward for a mother to discuss with her daughter, depending on the generation the mother grew up in. But, it is very difficult for most fathers to have to be the one to discuss it with their daughters! I, personally, am one of those parents who still believes in abstinence, but, is that even remotely logical in this day and age?!

[Brenda Creech]

I grew up in a household where nothing about sex was hidden from me and my siblings, and that, without a doubt, helped us make informed decisions about sex and our bodies in general. Peer pressure go nothing on us because our parents already taught us from home, so yeah, I agree that parents should answer their children's questions on sex honestly.

Yes, they definitely should! Thanks for commenting!

[Brenda Creech]

I think answering sexual questions from children requires wisdom. Books like these can help parents come up with smart strategies to talk about sex with their kids.

That is true. However, we can't go strictly by the books because by the time a child asks they have probably been hearing their friends already talking about things that didn't come from a book! Thanks for commenting!

[Brenda Creech]

That's absolutely right. Thanks for your contribution.

I appreciate how everyone has responded to this question! I enjoy reading the ideas of others!

[Brenda Creech]

For usas Muslims we. Don't have this problem because we are not allowed to perform physical intimacy until we get married. However I woulde definitely explain a general idea to my kids. It's better for them to hear from me in the correct way. Rathér then their friends or the internet who would have many outrageous ideas and temptation that i would be sorry for later. So I agree with the author very much.

I grew up in a generation that taught waiting until after you are married for physical intimacy. Therefore, it was difficult for me with my children because I wasn't prepared for the questions at the age they came! I tried to be honest in my explanation but there was a level of discomfort there for me that my children could sense, I'm sure! Thanks for commenting!

[Alex Reeves]

There's always a level of discomfort when telling your kids about sex. However, we should note that sex education is very important, and it should not be discarded because of the fear that too much exposure may actually lead to them wanting to try it out. Once they know the troubles that comes with rough sex life, they will tend to prevent any mishaps that may occur if they eventually try it out, protecting themselves in the right way. This, of course, is directed to older kids. As for the curious youngsters, a brief talk on the subject may majorly do them more good than harm.

[Aditii Mehta]

I totally agree! When kids ask their parents about sex , the parents feel shy and often ignore the questions. This should not be the case at all. Rather, this can become their first sex education lesson.

[Rocky Ellery James Tumbelaka]

I agree that we ahould be honest in answering our children question. Even about sexual topics. Because everything the parents said became the truth for their children. But we also must give them an understanding that such topic isn't something to discuss lightly or publicly.

Agreed! Thanks for commenting! I love hearing other's opinions!

Thank you. We all try our best to raise our children right.

[marta baglioni]

Oh, I totally agree! My parents were among the few who explained to their kids (me and my sister) this kind of stuff when I was younger. I feel like this helped me to manage the first encounter with the other sex less naively and made me know how to protect myself better. Sexual education should be a topic both in families and schools.

[MsChet Cherry]

While I agree with the author, it's always appropriate to teach children according to their age, so you don't end up confusing them.
Sex education is very necessary but should be taken stage by stage.

[Kenneth Onyenwe]

I agree with the author on the need for parents to give sexual education to their children. It arms the children with tools to make right sexual decisions and most importantly to prevent pregnancy.

[Nganyi Humphrey]

I think it's right to inform children of the truth about sexual topics. Even though a parent should be honest, he/she should caution the child from engaging in such an act.

[Austin McMichael]

I grew up in a society where parents are never free to discuss the topic of sex with their children. It was difficult for me to ever discuss such issues with my parents. I agree with the author that parents should teach their children about sex at an early age. This also protects children from sexual abuse as they will feel free to discuss the issues with their parents.

I agree! I have never thought about it as being protective for the children, I'm glad you mentioned that. I don't have kids but I hope that when I do, they will be comfortable talking to me about anything.

[Theresa Moffitt]

As long as the information provided is age appropriate, I think their questions should be answered honestly. I don’t think young children need details as much as older children would.

[Leasa Ana Maria]

I believe that we should answer children's sexual-related questions honestly and as best we can. In our present, because of technology and the access that we have given them to it, if we avoid these answers, they will find the answers somewhere else, and this aspect could harm them more than what we could have told them.