The Birds and The Bees

Question: When is a good age to discuss the topic of sex with your children, and what are some godly resources to help?

Answer: Start teaching sexuality early on. You begin gradually when they are young, discussing the beauty of our bodies, their sacredness, discussing privacy, safety, God's creative work, etc. After all, since God created our bodies, whatever we do should honor Him, which includes taking care of our bodies the way He would want us to. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

 As your children mature, details can gradually be shared and added. Teaching a child about sex should be as natural as teaching anything else. If you open lines of communication at an early age, it will be less awkward for both of you when you finally have the "talk." The Wonderful Way Babies are Made, written by Larry Christenson, is a great resource for varying ages. The book is divided to accommodate both younger and older kids, with rhymes and pictures for the younger ones, and details and explanations for the older children. I also recommend any of the books written by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, for example, Let The Children Come Series or  Growing Kids God's Way. The Ezzo's compare the beauty of sexuality to a flower, teaching the various flower parts to younger kids. In this series, they encourage you to teach your children about sex with marriage in mind, presenting a flower to daughters on their wedding day as a reminder of what they have cherished and saved for their husbands.

Finally, I want to remind you that children are learning about sex earlier and earlier in life, especially in public schools. After all, sex has become part of our mainstream culture. It's in our media, on our billboards, on our radios, and yes, even in our education system. By starting young, we hope that your children will be encouraged to come to you with questions instead of their peers, who often, though not intentionally, lead them astray. By putting it off too long, you may find that your children know more about it than you realize; and their knowledge may not be accurate or Biblical. The key to this, as well as any parenting, is to really know your children through communication. Then, hopefully the big talk won't be so big. It will just be another conversation; one many of you have already shared with your children.