With school being out soon and your children having more free time, take this wonderful opportunity to spend time with them. Make sure you sit down and talk with your kids about sex.

Studies show that kids who feel they can talk with their parents, family or guardians about sex, because their family speaks openly and listens carefully to them, are less likely to engage in high-risk behavior as teens than kids who do not feel they can talk with their parents about the subject.

Make sure that you are open and honest about your feelings and wishes with your children. If you are uncomfortable or nervous, tell your kids. They will be more open and attentive if you are honest with them.

If your child has not started asking questions about sex, look for a good opportunity to bring it up. For starters, if your child’s best friend has a mom that is pregnant, you can say, "Did you notice that David's mommy's tummy is getting bigger? That's because she's going to have a baby, and she's carrying it inside her. Do you know how the baby got inside her?" Then let the conversation move from there.

While our children need to know the biological facts about sex, they also need to understand that sexual relationships involve caring, concern and responsibility. By discussing the emotional aspect of a sexual relationship with your child, she will be better informed to make decisions later on and resist peer pressure. If your child is a pre-teen, you need to include a message about the responsibilities and consequences of sexual activity. Conversations with 11 and 12-year-olds, for example, should include talks about unwanted pregnancy and how they can protect themselves.

Also, talk to your children about the risk of contracting an STD or HIV. Make sure they have all the facts about how to protect themselves.

One myth kids think about sex, is that you cannot get pregnant the first time you have sex. Make sure you explain to them, you can get pregnant anytime you have sexual intercourse. Wearing a latex condom, taking birth control pills or using other contraceptives are very effective at preventing pregnancy. However, the only absolute way to not get pregnant is to not have sex at all.

It's our responsibility as adults to let our children know our values about sex. Although they may not adopt these values as they mature, at least they'll be aware of them as they struggle to figure out how they feel and want to behave.

Don't worry about knowing all the answers to your children's questions. Make sure you are calm and truly listening to their questions and concerns. Make your children feel that no topic is forbidden to be discussed in your home and you will sit down and discuss anything. Keep this line of communication open and your children will come to you rather than getting wrong information somewhere else.

Read more about how to talk to your kids about tough issues.

Resources
www.talkingwithkids.org