TEACHING THE UNTAUGHT!

Talking about periods shouldn’t be a taboo or a big topic! Do no hide your tampons and sanitary napkins. If my 4-year-old asks, “Girls bleed a little from their vagina every month. It does not hurt them. The body is getting ready to hold a baby when the girls become Mummys. This is something like a Mummy Diaper.”

If my 8-year-olds asks, I will first create the right sources of knowledge with some good literature. I will first create a Good Connection with her to see how comfortable she is. I will then move to explaining her the Male and Female bodies. There are highly useful books with great child friendly content. After showing the human anatomy, I will say,” A girl’s body goes through hormonal changes called Puberty. At puberty, she starts bleeding and her body starts getting ready to hold a baby in the uterus. When there is no baby, the uterus sheds the blood every month. It is nothing abnormal or awkward. In fact, it is a sign of a good healthy body.” Start early with human anatomy and build a good communication regarding these concepts.

Children are highly absorbent Sponges 😊They pick up everything from the environment and surroundings. How you deal with the word will decide the future usage of the word. Giving power to Any reaction amplifies the behaviour. Your body and your tone is The Communication. No anger, no yelling – Keep Calm and go down to eye level.

What you can follow Appropriate with age –

• For a 1 – 2-year-old – No power to behaviour. Request family to co-operate and make it boring. They may just be experimenting!
• Offer options – Use “Holy Teddy “instead of “Holy F”. Demonstrate and show with same vigour and energy how to use “Holy Teddy”
• Artificial Consequences – Tickle them till they’re almost fed up of the tickling. Tickle every time they use the word. They will eventually get fed up!
• For a 5 -8-year-old – Be Firm about Not using the F words. Try to find the source – friends, inappropriate screens or books. Explain, “Some words are inappropriate and socially unacceptable. Have you observed that you get weird glances and stares from people when you use such words?! These words are used by people who don’t have a good vocabulary and language to use the right words. You have a great vocabulary – sue your words wisely. It is NOT Cool to use these words”

This is a tricky situation. The way you handle it will define how your child perceives Sex and Body Consent. The bigger harm will lie in the reaction given by the parents.

• My 3 year old – “This is not fit for children. Only grown ups watch this.”

At this age, you can immediately redirect and divert them to forget these things. Make sure they never have access to such videos again.

• My 8 year old –

1. Start educating early!!! Kids really have access to data or even people talking about such content. Explain human anatomy and process of birth early.
2. When found watching such videos, please do not give any loud or shocked reaction.
3. Gently ask them to turn it off and say this is something only adults’ watch. It is highly age inappropriate and is Not Real. Real life and bonding are different from this.
4. Say, “I will teach you everything as you grow. This will cloud your mind with unrealistic doubts and expectations. Let me help you once you grow up more to understand better. Don’t watch this. It is not recommended for a Good Healthy relationship in future.”
5. Explain sexual intercourse in a more logical and aesthetic way.