Guest Author - Susan Thompson

Deciding when to talk to your children about life’s major issues is a very personal decision. For me the best time to discuss things like where babies come from, why dad is having a beer, or why Aunt Sally smokes cigarettes was when those questions came to me. My children talked a lot when they were younger and were never afraid to ask questions. I was lucky that way, but you can be sure that children think of things before they actually ask about them.

When you send your child off to school you can be sure that they will learn much more than the three R’s. Of course you don’t want your children learning life values from Johnny down the block, so you should easily be able to have a discussion with them at an age appropriate time.

Before your children go to school you should have a discussion about inappropriate touching. Many children are sexually abused before they would even know how to tell someone that something was wrong. What you tell them is up to you, but I told my children that their private parts were just that, private. No one other than their doctor or one of their parents (if they need help in the bathroom) should be touching them there.

With the many drug and alcohol programs in the schools now, that conversation is coming earlier and earlier. Don’t be afraid to talk to you kids about this and make them understand that while Mom or Dad may have a drink once in a while or someone they know may smoke, it is not ok for them to do it. Explain that their bodies are too young to handle such substances. Don’t be afraid to scare them on this subject. Drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes are things that you want them to be afraid of.

Where do babies come from? Probably the most dreaded of all questions children will ask. You don’t have to be literal with this one. When I was little my mom was divorced and when I asked how I could get a baby brother or sister, she said that we would have to ask God, because He was the one who gave out babies. After a few months of me praying very hard, I said to my mom “God isn’t giving us a baby because I don’t think you’re even asking Him for one!” Little did I know that she was laughing on the inside because she really wasn’t asking for one. When my kids asked, I told them you had to have a Mom and a Dad who loved each other very much and that love created a baby.

Remember, kids take what you say literally, so try to be patient with them and explain as much as possible.