Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex

One of the most difficult challenges we may face as parents is to have that first “talk” with our kids. You know the one—discussing their changing bodies and sex for the first time.

When do we begin? Where do we start? How do we do it in a way that makes sure they have the information they need, doesn’t make them (or us) feel overwhelming shame, and forms them in Catholic teaching? In Start Talking to Your Kids about Sex, clinical psychologist Julia Sadusky will answer questions you may have and give you the boost of confidence you need as you have foundational conversations with your elementary-age children long before they hit puberty.

As Christians, we believe that the body is a blessing and a gift from God—and worth protecting—from the beginning of life. But many parents and educators wait until puberty to begin conversations with kids about sexuality and relationship boundaries. We miss opportunities along the way to reinforce their body’s goodness—like when young children discover their most intimate body parts, for example. We might react out of fear and embarrassment because we don’t know how to respond calmly...