Navigate the 'where do babies come from' question with Meri Sehat. Get age-appropriate tips on explaining the concept of childbirth to your curious child.

Mom, Where Do Babies Really Come From?

How and when to have the ‘talk’ with your child.

Overview

Most of us learned about the &lsquo;birds and the bees&rsquo; through either our friends or the internet. Both of these aren&rsquo;t always the safest option to obtain comprehensive information from and sometimes we learned more than we needed to. 

As parents, we should be having this talk with our kids and should be our child&rsquo;s first exposure to the ideas of sex and <a href="https://merisehat.pk/article/understanding-your-sexuality-for-improved-sexual-wellness">sexuality</a>. Most parents are tempted to delay it until the child hits puberty while they dread the awkwardness of it. Its better, however, to introduce your kids to the &lsquo;sex talk&rsquo; early on so they can make healthy and informed choices. We live in an age when any information they seek is at the tips of their fingers and if you&rsquo;re not the one guiding them through this, then the internet will &mdash; and that&rsquo;s not always the healthiest choice. 
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You should answer whatever queries they have but you also don&rsquo;t have to tell them everything in a single conversation. The discussion can evolve as the child grows older based on the needs and questions of the child. 

A few basic things you should cover is discussion about normal human anatomy, how sex and reproduction work, issues of consent, how to have safe sex and options in the case of any mishaps such as STIs or unintended pregnancies. 
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Some Things to Keep in Mind

Conclusion

Some Things to Keep in Mind are: 
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<ul>
	<li>How soon is too soon? Even as toddlers, some children touch their private parts as they have a natural curiosity about their body. This isn&rsquo;t sexual at all; however, you can let the child know that these are private parts and such behaviour should not be done in public. </li>
	<li>There&rsquo;s also no need to scold or punish the child as that will lead to a lot of shame around the topic. Even more so, you can put your child at ease by admitting that even you feel embarrassed talking about these things but it&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s essential for their own safety. </li>
	<li>However, make sure your child doesn&rsquo;t get the impression that you think certain body parts are dirty or some functions are inherently gross. You can achieve this by keeping a neutral and positive tone. </li>
	<li>Your child will most probably have a lot of question that can range from &ldquo;where do babies come from?&rdquo; to &ldquo;When will my breasts get bigger?&rdquo;. Try to answer these questions in a straightforward manner without making the child feel stupid for asking them. It&rsquo;s essential to leave out teasing, blaming or belittling behaviour out of these conversations. &nbsp;</li>
	<li>Be respectful of the child&rsquo;s wishes. Let them know that even though this conversation is important, if they feel uncomfortable they can opt for another time to conduct it. Also, choose a private area to talk, respect their desire to only talk to one parent, for example a girl child might prefer talking to her mom alone. </li>
	<li>Offer resources such as websites and books that can guide them further about these things. But at the same time if they want any further clarifications let them know you&rsquo;re available for it. </li>
	<li>Discuss puberty and the changes they should be expecting in their bodies, discuss what they should expect from a safe partner or spouse for their first sexual experience, discuss how using protection is essential in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and STDs. </li>
	<li>Above all, be clear that nothing matters more to you than their safety and wellbeing and that they can come to you if something has gone awry. Your ultimate goal is to instil confidence and knowledge in your child about their growing bodies and what they&rsquo;re capable of without a fear-based approach to sex. 
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</ul>

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