Talking to Your Daughter About Sex

Giving your daughter the sex talk can be one of the most nerve-wracking things you do as a parent. You have to make sure she understands it, you have to make sure she isn’t totally grossed out, you have to make sure you tell her about it at the right time, you have to make sure that she knows your moral standards, you have to make sure she knows about protection, and so much more.

Luckily for parents, there are so many books and articles about giving your child the sex talk and what to do about it afterwards, that you have a lot of help. You can give the talk by using mostly the books to help you and hopefully without much embarrassment from either you or your daughter. However, you are still the one that has to give it, and still have to be the one to really let your daughter know about it.

When you go to give your daughter the sex talk, carefully plan the time. You probably want to talk to her before she begins puberty so that she understands what will be happening in the next little while. Pick an evening when you aren’t planning anything for a while. You will need time to talk to your daughter and time for her to soak it in. You don’t want her to be given the sex talk in two minutes and the next minutes be off to dinner with the family.

Plan what you are going to say. Use books to help you if you want. Don’t just tell her about girls and what happens with them, but talk about what happens with boys too. Your daughter needs to know. You might think you are protecting her but you aren’t. It will only lead to confusion for her. Make sure you don’t scare your daughter, but really listen to her and how she reacts.

Not everyone has the same opinion about sexual activity. Because of that, you have to tell your daughter yourself about what you expect and about what you think is right or wrong. You don’t have to go into detail, but because there is so much in the world that promotes certain things, you have to let her know that that isn’t always the real world and let her know what you believe is morally right.

Children will usually be given sex talks in school. They can be informative and tell your daughter about the different parts of a body and what they are for. Let that be a review for her. You don’t want her getting the wrong impression or learning about it from a stranger. You are her parent and need to tell her yourself. Let her still participate in the classes, you always have the option of taking her out for the time they are learning about it, but they aren’t there to harm your child. They are there to educate and to teach your children about the human body.

Let your daughter know that if she has any questions, that she can come to you. Let her know that you are open to talking about it. Tell her not to be embarrassed because it is something that happens to everyone and that it is something that everyone knows about. Help your daughter through puberty and all the changes that will happen in the next several years. She may not want to talk much but make sure she knows that you are open and available if needed.