Tips from AboutKidsHealth on sex education for children
February 14–18 is Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week. Learn about what children are able to understand about sexuality and reproduction at different stages and discover tips to make talking to children about sex and reproduction easier with information from AboutKidsHealth.
Beginning a conversation about sexuality early, and continuing that conversation as your child grows, is the best sex education strategy. You do not have to explain everything at once. Remember that sex education is a continuing process.
You might start by answering your child’s questions or asking them questions to find out exactly what they want to know and why. Often, younger children tend to be more interested in pregnancy and babies, rather than the act of sex. For more information on getting the conversation started, please see, Sex education for children: Eight tips for parents.
What children should learn and when
These are some of the things that children should be able to understand about sexuality and reproduction at different stages (this is not a complete list):
Toddlers: 13 to 24 months
- Should be able to name all body parts including the genitals to better communicate health issues and to understand that these parts are as normal as any others.
- Have a general understanding that a person's gender identity is not determined by their genitals.
- Should know that their body is private.
Preschoolers: Two to four years old
- Most can understand the basics of reproduction: the sperm and egg join, and the baby grows in the uterus.
- Should understand their body is their own and no one can touch their body without their permission.
School-age children: Five to eight years old
- Should have a basic understanding that there is a range of gender expression.
- Should know about the basic social conventions of privacy, nudity and respect for others in relationships.
- Should understand the basics about puberty by the end of this age span to prepare them for the changes that will happen and that these changes are normal and healthy.
For more information about what children should be able to understand at the above stages, as well as during the pre-teen and teenage years, please see, Sexuality: What children should learn and when.
AboutKidsHealth is SickKids’ health-education website and features more than 3,500 articles on a range of health topics. For more information on sex education and other health topics, visit www.aboutkidshealth.ca.
