Skip to main content
Partly Cloudy icon
55º

How early is too early to start talking openly with kids about sex? This advice is so smart

How early is too early? (Emma Bauso/Pexels photo)

If you’re a parent or caregiver, you might have wondered -- or you might be wondering: How early is too early to start talking openly about sex?

“It’s probably never too early,” said Dr. Celeste Holbrook, a sexologist, speaker, educator and author.

Recommended Videos



And when we say “sex” -- you don’t have to start with the entire conversation. Keep it age-appropriate. A good place place to begin is with body parts; as in, call them what they are, without the nicknames. You can start doing that at the age of 18 months.

This also provides a sense of trust. You’re telling your children the real, accurate terms, so you won’t have to self-correct when they’re 9 or 10 years old.

If you have the self-correction talk when they’re older, your kids might wonder: What else were we told, that wasn’t true?

From the body parts talk, the conversation can grow, Holbrook said. The discussions will mature as your children do.

And it’s not one single talk, it’s something you review and go over as time progresses, Holbrook added. For more, listen to the full episode, below (it’s only a few minutes long).

Zak Rosen, “The Best Advice Show” podcast creator and host, wants to hear from you next.

It doesn’t even have to be this deep; an episode last year offered a life-hack on how you should be sorting your silverware when you load the dishwasher. (And it’s brilliant!)

To contribute some of your advice, drop Rosen a voicemail at 844-935-BEST. Leave your name and your tip, followed by your email address in case he has any follow-up questions.

He’s not so much interested in platitudes and truisms, but instead, looking for the specific, odd, uplifting, effective, real advice from you about how you make it through your days.

“The Best Advice Show” is a product of Graham Media Group. Download it wherever you listen to or access podcasts.