Part 2: Following on from our piece on puberty, most of us want open conversation about sex with our children. Achieving that can be complex
These days, most of us want to have open conversations about sex with our children. But envisaging that scenario and realising it in practice can be two different things, if parents aren’t sure how to approach it.
“The foundation that would start with our toddlers is anatomy, emotion and consent. And by consent at that very, very early age – the concept of sharing and not sharing. The concept of making sure the other person is okay – that you’ve shared that toy with them, or that you’ve taken that toy from them.”
Be an askable and a tellable person. Be their go-to person. From when they’re curious, answer their questions honestlyTeaching children not to expose their bodies publicly, as younger children do, means explaining to them that “your body is yours and it’s private”, and should be done free of shame, Dr Byrnes says. “So it’s all coming from a place of protecting them and empowering them”.
'If we’re going to create a consent culture, then we need to build on that from an early age...' Photograph:kostolom/getty/iStock Empathy is also an important part of the conversation, she says. “Walking in another person’s shoes, how do you think that person would feel?”
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