Parenting: Having ‘The Talk’ with Your Kids

Do you remember having ‘The Talk’ with your parents? Or maybe it was a grandparent, aunt or uncle. We all find out eventually, but gauging the right time can be tricky.

FOX’s Lisa Brady reports in this week’s ‘FOX on Family’:

It’s one of the most daunting parts of parenthood: ‘The Talk’. How much to say and when?:

(Martin) “I definitely would be sensitive to the curiosity level and just what that child really wants to know.”

Clinical counselor Rhonda Martin says school may break the ice with a fourth or fifth grade lesson on puberty, optional in my 10-year-old daughter’s class. But don’t wait too long to build on that:

(Martin) “We want to make sure that the parent gets to frame the conversation.”

Before your kids hear it from someone else:

(Martin) “Friends, friends of friends, older siblings and that can happen if we don’t guard texting the talking early enough.”

f they’re starting to have crushes it may be time. If they don’t show any interest, maybe not:

(Martin) “Definitely a distinction between not having any interest and not needing it yet or has knowledge and just doesn’t want to have the talk with mom or dad.”

Martin also says having other trusted sources could help kids feel more comfortable asking questions and it should be an ongoing conversation.

With FOX on Family, I’m Lisa Brady.

Rhonda Martin is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor based in Ohio who specializes in family and children’s services. She also suggests scanning your child’s phone periodically for age-appropriate content. If you’re stuck on whether it’s the right time to have ‘the talk,’ think back to when you first started having those conversations. Martin also says a good starting point might be to ask your child what they thought about the school’s class on puberty. And the car can be a good place to ask, when they have fewer distractions and can’t avoid you.