If you feel uncomfortable and possibly overwhelmed at the thought of tackling your child’s sexuality education, you are not alone. Recent Irish research asked 93 parents how they felt about raising the subject. Many of them reported discomfort, embarrassment and a fear of getting it wrong.
Despite the difficulties, these parents wanted to “break the cycle of silence, oppression, guilt and taboo around relationships, sexuality and growing up”.
If you too would like to give your child the gift of an open relationship, where you can talk, listen and learn together, the earlier you start, the easier it will be. Taking the first small steps in their early childhood, will set you both on the right road.
However, don’t be disheartened if your child is older and you haven’t talked to them about sex and sexuality yet. It may be a little harder to start, but it is never too late. You can do it!
You don’t have to have everything sorted before you start - that’s a recipe for doing nothing! For many parents, it will be a case of ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’, and that’s fine.