My daughter was 3.5 years old when my son was born. Like every little child, she was ecstatic with the new addition to the family. She wanted to help Mama with everything to do with her baby brother.
The first time I changed his diaper in front of her was when the questions started.
- What is that?
- Why don’t I have one?
- Does it hurt him?
Well! No my little one he’s a boy and you are a girl and that’s why you are both made differently. But she was too little for me to explain it in more detail.
As the kids grew older curiosity also grew. I finally had the puberty conversation with my daughter.
I had a book recommendation from a friend. It’s called Just for Girls. There is one for boys as well – Just For Boys. I would recommend this to every mother whose kid – boy or girl- is in the pre-puberty or puberty phase. It answers a lot of questions in a simple manner.
You can check it out here
We have spoken to Swati Jagdish, Certified Lactation & Parenting coach and she has had open and frank conversations with her daughter since she was a little tot. She also clarifies that sex education is not one conversation but a series of conversations you should have with your child.
You can watch the full video here
We asked moms like you and me what they felt was the right age and the right way to address this conversation about breasts and penises.
This is what they had to say
This mom was in the same boat as I was
Others like this mom, started her baby’s education very early as she wanted to normalize the parts of the body and all the humdrum around it.
But each parent and child relationship is different and you should take a call based on your child’s understanding and your comfort level and of course theirs.
Some waited till the kids were going to hit puberty.
There is no right to wrong in this situation. You are the best person to assess your child’s level of understanding and how curious are their little minds. As a mom of two, I have always felt I should equip them with knowledge and information before they get half baked info from their peers and get the wrong idea.
We would love to know what you think. Talk to us in the comments below!
Rushita Sheth
Janani S Koushik
Mansi Zaveri
