I’m looking for input on the appropriate age to talk to my daughter about sex?

I waited with my daughter until she started her period. I’m sure I’ll start finding spunk or inappropriate materials from my son then tell him. Haven’t approached that bridge yet as he’s turning 10 next month.

You need to talk to her pediatrician. Asking every Tom, Dick and Harry shows your ignorance. This is a personal issue and should remain personal. Lord woman where were you raised? Certainly not in a civilized area.

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I hate to break it to you, but at 8 she probably already knows.

The American Girl Doll company has wonderful simple books for introducing her to the next chapters. Best wishes :blush:

I was 6 when I found out

Utilize children’s books!!

that parent group (with Cath Hakanson) has all of your answers!

When they start asking about it.

When my daughter started school we read her this book. We also answered any questions she had. One warning though. She and her friend were looking at the book and I later received a not so pleasant call from the friend’s mother asking what we were teaching our kid. https://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-Come-Peter-Mayle/dp/0818402539

Answer questions as they arise.

You will know the right time when she starts asking the right questions. Don’t let peer pressure make your decisions.

My son asked me where babies came from when he was six. I told him honestly, in a very matter of fact way. Kids are smarter than we give them credit for and if you don’t make it a big awkward deal, they won’t either. He’s had more in-depth questions as he’s gotten older and when we have these serious but occasionally slightly “embarrassing” talks we have a little laugh but at the end of it all he thanks me for “not making it weird”. The more trust you build with your kids while they’re younger, the better your relationship will be with them as they get older. And honestly, the topic of sex education should be less taboo with kids when coming from trusted adults. We can’t expect them to make good decisions if we wait until they’re old enough to make bad ones to talk about them. :woman_shrugging:t2:

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Sex should be part of every day conversation. Keep it light and honest. She doesn’t need all the gory details now but as she asks question. Just answer them. I don’t think you need to wait fir a specific age. Start now, little at a time. I also took advantage of what may be happening on a TV show to add in all the emotions that go along with it.

My daughter knows the appropriate anatomy as well, she’s 8 too. But I will be waiting till she gets her ‘friend’ before having the talk.

Kids these days move fast.i had a little girl kiss my son when he was 5.
He’s 24 now.girls are different they need guidance early about fast boys.you teach hwr early and put her on birth control so one mistake doesn’t ruin her life.

I talked to my now 8 year old daughter when she was 7. I tried talking to her twin but he just wasn’t ready.

I talked with my kids about sex when they asked about it, then I was honest and used age-appropriate language. They’re ready for the information when they tell you they are. I think I was 8 or 9 when we were at the zoo and I saw a couple of camels “playing leapfrog”. I asked my father why they were doing that and he explained it to me. My response was “wow, I’m glad people don’t do it that way”.

She’s more than old enough. Girls lot younger than her get molested because they don’t know what’s happening. Tell her the basics and explain rape to her as well. She needs to know before someone else “teaches” her.

My daughter was about 4 years old and constantly asked where babies came from I became very concerned because it was constant. I spoke to my Doctor about it and she recommended a book that explained things at her level and it was all in cartoons. It actually was the perfect tool and no more questions. I just can’t remember the name of the book unfortunately.

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You start the conversation with finding out what she knows. Don’t just talk to her, have an open conversation with her. Ask open ended questions. Yes/no questions don’t open the door and if that is all she says to you, then you’ll know she’s embarrassed and not ready yet. Tell her you want to be honest with her and you will answer any question she has, that nothing is a bad word, that talking about anything with you even if she thinks it is bad or dirty is totally fine. You’re not trying to be her buddy or bestie, just being honest and giving her the chance to be honest with you. I’ve always approached it this way with my daughter, now 14, and she and I talk about things I would have never felt acceptable to talk with my own mother about at her age. But that is because we approached it differently. My mother used to lecture and ask yes or no questions and she would go on forever. And I hated that and shut down every time. My daughter and I just talk for a couple of minutes, sometimes in the car when it’s just us or in her room. We make it casual and not a big production and definately not a lecture. And I’ve found that she is more honest with me then too than I was at her age with my own mom.

I think she’s still to young. I began speaking to mine when she started her cycle

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We’ve been covering sexual topics since the kids were little. Mostly about consent and bodily autonomy. We’re talking a little more each year and answering different questions every year.

I read a statistic in the Washington post (I think… Or NY Times maybe?) that if you don’t at least start to have the talk with your child before 10, they will hear it from someone else…
I had the talk with my son shortly before he turned 10 when I read that. Kept it age appropriate with scientific words and just told the truth

I guess I’m old fashion too where my 7 yr old knew nothing about sex. Times have changed and kids know more now at an early age. If you feel comfortable with having the complete sex talk with her than now is the time

If someone would have taught it all to me at age 7, I would’ve told my mom about the sexual abuse I was getting. It started around she 7 and didn’t end until around age 14. My son is 8 and knows the basics of what sex it and anatomy. He also knows about consent. My daughter is 3 and knows the proper names for her anatomy. As she gets older I’ll be teaching her more and more.

You could start by introducing consent (not necessarily the sex talk yet). If she follows your vibe, lead into it. She’s never too young to learn that her body is hers alone.
This generation is WAY more grown than we were at their age. Knowledge right now is power and if you can control where it comes from initially, you have a hand up.

I have learned it doesn’t really matter what you teach them mine come home from school talking about crazy things

Ask her what bf/gf means, and what the little boy says it means…it’s possible she’s already gotten some information from the kid, different children are exposed to different things at home & sometimes end up bringing what they have learned to school

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My parents sat my brother and I down at ages 7 and 8. There’s no need to get into a lot of detail, but explain things with their ages in mind. Don’t over explain, but leave the conversation open to questions.

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I have an exceptionally smart just turned 6 year old and I have had to tell the basics (age appropriate) on how babies are made, where they come from and how having a baby happens. She is a very literal person and sugar coating around the elephant in the room doesn’t work… trust me I’ve tried she is too smart for her own good sometimes. We have always used correct terminology when referring to body parts from when she was born so that there was no taboo about it so to speak so it wasn’t that hard and she understood it and accepted it and went back to playing. Every kid is different you do what feels best for you! :grin:

It’s not the stork! It’s a great book I just read to my seven-year-old daughter. Look it up it explains everything but doesn’t dwell on the sex part. Great book covers family, friends, okay touching, respect and lots of very basic anatomy.

Talk to her. Be blunt. Don’t make up words for stuff and don’t sugar coat it. Give her the correct education, because if you don’t she’ll go with all the other variations she’s heard. And trust they talk. They see it in tv/ phones/ tablets. It’s all accessible. Make sure she understands the possible physical, mental and social consequences that can arise. From STD’s to feelings and control.

If she is claiming a boyfriend then talk to her now. Kids are growing up too fast these days.

Those talks usually takes place upon her first time menstruating. Letting her know that she can become a mom now if she isn’t careful.

Maybe start at around puberty so you could explain why puberty happens?

I was seduced by an 8 year old, when I was 9.

You will know she is ready when she asks.

I don’t remember ever having the talk!

I would wait till she asks about it.

All the girls in my family had the talk when my oldest cousin started her menstrual. Even the 7 year old cousins learned about cycles and why avoiding sex was necessary. Of course the younger ones didn’t understand it all, but they had a foundation on which to build over the years. None of us 9 girls went on to be teen mothers either. It’s best she has the info young. That way you’ll sate her curiosity before it starts.

When my daughter was young i bought an age appropriate book about these matters & left it on her bed to read. That then made it easier to open up a conversation.

I would do it as a very minimally descriptive conversation and to definitely explain what happens such as having a baby or getting sick AKA VD and that you need to be a grown up to do those things. And possibly make it an ongoing conversation throughout her getting older so you can add more pertinent details as she is more immature to handle it and to understand it

I talked about sex after my daughter got her period. Of course before that I talked about good touch and bad touch so she would know the difference

10yrs explain periods

Is this assuming that were teaching the standard 2 genders and procreation? Because then maybe 8-10 could be appropriate. But rest assured. The kids at school are always ahead of the parents, and if it’s teaching more than actually biology, you can bet that the schools have indoctrinated multiple genders into your kids beliefs. The sex talk should start with how many there are, and how sex works and what it’s actually for.

Hi,
I think you should talk to her about sex. I was 7 years old boy and one of my cousin told me everything about sex so maybe that boyfriend of her already knew about sex.

7 is too young let her enjoy her child hood and let her keep her innocence until shes in middle school. My mother never had the talk with me so i had to learn what sex was from other people and porn. Thats sad. But whatever. Anyway i feel like 11 is a good age.