When is the right time for The Talk?
October 25th, 2007, 10:09 am · Post a Comment · posted by mparamore
My boys are 9, 8 and 6. The older boys are joking about having girlfriends, and the oldest boy, Joseph, has begun to shoo me out of the room when he is bathing and dressing. I’m starting to think it is time for The Talk.
I still think it is a little early, but is it, really? Especially if I want my boys to get the right information from me first?
I have always answered any questions boys ask honestly, and go out of my way to leave the door open for more questions. For instance, while sitting in the doctor’s exam room, one boy asked about a poster on the wall that showed the male urinary tract system. We talked about the bladder, urethra, penis, testes and prostate, and I mention that boys have a penis, testes and prostate, but girls don’t. (“Okay, honey, now ask why…” I think, but they don’t.)
I’ve told them what girls have from the beginning. This bit me in the rear once. I was in my pajamas, sitting on the floor with my son David, then 2. He informed me, “Mama, you need to put on vagina pants.” I did, and made sure I wore ‘vagina pants’ with my pajamas from then on.
We were watching the hunting channel the other day. (It is a predominantly male household. I don’t get to watch much girl TV.) Anyway, an ad for doe urine came on. The product talked about a doe being ready to mate when she doesn’t run, thus the product was “Standing Doe Urine.” The visual was, well, of a standing doe and a “gentleman suitor.” Who would have thought they’d show THAT on TV? I guess when it’s animals, it is okay.
So my boys start saying, “Uhhh, gross.” And I ask, “Do you know what they are doing?” They told me, but I can tell they don’t know what is REALLY going on. Was that my opportunity? Should I have taken it? Or will they ask specific questions when they need to know?
Any advice, MomBloggers?
