Sexual relations are very important in the modern world. Television is one of the main spreaders of sexual ideas in society, and children are not protected from this information and influence. Children’s consciousness is rather specific, and the information they percept should be adapted to their minds. In the light of this fact, teaching children about sexuality should be provided, and the starting point of this education should be children’s home.
Parents should be the main educators in the topic of sexual education of their children, and they should answer questions directly, clearly, and easily understood for the child’s age in order if the child has problems in future he/she will be able to turn to his/her parents. In the opposite case, parents risk that the child will get the awry information in the streets, at school, in friends circle.
The modern world is full of such dangers as AIDS and other diseases which are inherited through the genital tracts, and also sexual importunity to the children from the side of adults. It is important that a child can understand the structure of his/her body and physiological changes, which wait for him/her in the future, since early years. The child should know that it is a crime when somebody wants to touch his/her genital organs, and if the child feels uncomfortable when he/she is touched, help should be called from the side of other adults. So, it is crucially important that child can trust their parents in order to come for help to them if something bothers them or they have some doubts.
Children should be told about the fact how they appeared not later than six years old. Not later than being 9, they should know how children are made and what role mother and father play in their creation. Beginning with this age, parents should tell children about other aspects of pubescence, such as menstruation and erection. When the child is 12 – 15, parents should tell the child about sexuality and about the peculiarities of sexual relations between genders, paying special attention to such fundamental notions as love, tenderness, and feelings.
The most difficult in the conversation is its beginning. Ideally, the conversation should be led in a free and easy manner, sincerely and naturally. There are a lot of books which may help to start the conversation if there are no ideas of your own how to do it. A great idea would be to look through such a book together with the child. Such practice is very useful, as the child may ask questions that are interesting for him without searching for appropriate words.
It is crucial to remember that sexual education is one of the parts of the whole process of children’s upbringing, so this theme should not be left for later. There is a necessity to give such information in several stages, without extra hurry. Sometime later, parents will have to tell their children about contraception (in order to avoid unexpected pregnancy and diseases which are inherited through the genital tracts) and which is the most appropriate to this very child.
So, children should be taught sexuality from their very childhood, and it is crucial that his/her education is provided by their parents as street and friends give rather awry information about sex and adult sexual life. The wise structured conversation may avoid huge problems in the future considering unexpected pregnancy and serious infectious diseases which are inherited through the genital tracts.