2. WHEN DO WE START TALKING?Soon Now.No matter how young your child, they are already learning someimportant messages that will lay the foundations for their sexualdevelopment.Home schooling — the first lessonHome is the first place for a child to learn about loving themselves, their body and lovingothers. Even simple domestic routines such as bathing, rules about nudity and privacy, orresponding to an infant’s curiosity about going to the toilet are situations where messagesare sent and education about the body begins. As children get older, reactions to developingbodies, questions about sex, or the arrival of boyfriends or girlfriends will continue the ‘homeschooling’.Ideally children learn early that they can talk to their parents and trusted carers and askquestions.School life — the second lessonA surprisingly large part of a child’s school life communicates what we want them to knowabout sexuality. Beyond stories heard in the playground, the way schools manage everydayevents has a lot to teach kids too. When girls get their periods do they know what to do andwho to talk to? If young children are found playing doctor is there panic, or are children taughtthat curiosity about bodies is OK but playing doctors at school isn’t?6There are plenty of parents whohaven’t talked with their kids aboutsex and values, or going on the pill, oranything like that. So, we really needto be able to say to our kids, well, wehaven’t talked about this so far, butwe think it is really important, andhere’s what we want you to know ...- Parent of 15 year old girl
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