Wednesday, March 25, 2009

THE Talk!

"You've only ever done that twice though right?" is a common reponse that other parents tell me their kids ask after they have "the talk" with them! That is hilarious! But "The talk" ....mmm, not so hilarious.

Tana will be 9 this coming Monday and has for months, if not years, been asking me questions that I haven't been willing to give her an anwer too. Mostly because I didn't think she needed to know. Most often, lately, its been questions about my...ahem, feminine protection shall we say. I've put her off, she's begged with me, pleading her case..."But I should know, I should be prepared". You can't fault the kid's logic, she's right but how do you know when the proper time to tell them is? And if you explain the whole "menstruation" dealie (oh thrill, oh joy), how do you not explain the big SEX to them too?

I know there's varying opinions on when to tell them. Some say when they ask questions, some say figure when they hit a certain age. I realize every child is different and that girls, especially, start to develop earlier than when I was their age (Lord, I hope she doesn't get her period until she's about 25 at the very least) and in that respect, you don't want them to be unprepared.

But sure, once you tell them this kind of stuff, its almost as you're admitting to yourself and quite possibly to your child, that they are no longer a child, they are growing up, evolving as is the natural course of things. Its all kind of scary actually and I really don't remember reading about this in the parenting manual at all! I'm not really sure that I'm ready for this.

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