What would be the right age to talk to my daughter about the birds and
the bees?
She's 8 now and I want to make sure she'll be able to understand, but
I don't want to bring up the topic if it's not the right time.
I know she's already aware of some things she's heard at school. I'd
rather the info comes from me and not from her classmates.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I told my daughter when she was 12.

I was totally open with her, and told her about everything.

I got all of the right answers too, oh mom that's gross!! Yuck!
I am going to adopt!!.

Just remember that it only takes one time, and they are starting
younger.

I told my daughter when she was 10,,, She actually came to me with
questions,, I got alot of that is gross and so on,,,

Just be open and Honest,,, and always let her know that you are
thier for her,

Kev,, your a great Dad,,, You will do just fine

whew thx for asking that Kev ... my youngest is 11 and me thinks the
TALK with her is this wekend .... glad Iam not nervous ... :)

The school had a health class that discussed it in my son's 6th grade so
that woould be him at 11 years old had the talk to go with it

I thank all of you so much. It's one part of parenting I'm slighty
nervous about.
When she and her friend draw pictures of ladies and what not, they're
adding curves for breasts and dots for nipples.
She's becoming more aware of who she is and it's difficult for me
because of the absence of her mother(she bailed on us four years ago).
Sometimes I think my daughter won't talk to me about things she
notices about herself. I can understand that.
I can already hear it now..."How would daddy know? He's a
boy."
Again, I appreciate everyone's input. You've been most
helpful.

Kev,, You would be suprised,, I went to my Dad for all my questions,,,
She loves you and she knows your thier for her no matter what,,, she
will come to you,, just always let her know your thier no matter what it
is,,,

Kevin, I do wish you luck, please let us know what happens.

I talked to my daughter when she was 11. She understood. I had
given a health fair during that time and I had invited my local Planned
Parenthood Group to attend and they had brochures about "The Birds and
the Bees", Condoms, Safe Sex, Abstinence etc.. I used them and gave her
a few of my own life experiences
It went well. Let her know that you have an
open door policy and she can talk to you about it....Good
Luck!

my daughter is only 2 months old right now, but my mom always told me
growing up i hope you have a daughter one day and she gives you half the
grief you have given me. So when mystery gets to be like 13 I am
chaining her to her room untill she is 19 lol. If she is half the brat i
was i am in for the long haul lol

My daughter will soon turn 13. In school they learn more about the
mechanics of sex than I could explain. So, I take things from a
different angle: I have been talking to her about the real dangers of
sex - a broken heart.

I want her to understand that sex is probably the strongest force of a
persons life - as it is a core component to love, family, obligations
and responsibility. And that most ppl will struggle all their lives to
keep it all together. I try to explain to her that having sex in the
teen years usually leads to broken hearts, broken lives and broken
dreams.

I would say...wait for her to ask you. If she has questions and you
have an open channel of communication- you will know when the time is
right.

I remember the counselors I worked around telling me to answer her
questions honestly and give her the information she asks. At 8, she may
just want to know really simple stuff, not the whole 9 yards. There are
also great books out there to help you explain the process. About the
age thing, I would vote for younger rather than older, there are girls
coming up pregnant at 11, 12 and 13 nowadays, (typed a note the other
day on a 14 y/o pregnant with her 2nd baby) very sad, so I wouldn't hold
back until they were older and some girls are starting periods at age 9
now too. The times have changed and these kids are learning things a
lot younger than we ever did, but it is a necessity of life now, boy are
sexually active younger too.

I'm not going to talk to her about it when she's 8. I realize it's not
the right time for it.
I was just curious as to what others have done and when they did it.
If she asks me, I think that's probably cool for now, but when she's
older and becoming way more aware than now, that'll be the time for 'The
Talk'.
I'm stoked to see all the responses and input. I'm really thankful
for parents helping other parents. Your experiences are very helpful to
me.
When the time comes, I think I'll be prepared.

Thanks again!

Its funny how we all want to know when the right time is to tell them
these things but if the ones that have already been there. Think back to
when we did talk to them and how it came up most of the time the kids
let us know when it was really time for them. They start asking
questions more about those things so all you really have to do is watch
there actions around friends and really pay attention to the questions
they ask you will know when that right time is for your child. Just
always be there and always listen to what they have to say not matter
how small it might seem. They would not be telling you or asking you
things if it did not mean a lot to them.

Kev,
I have a guy friend that raised his 3 kids the youngest a very petite
lil gurl. He is 6'5" a big ol'boy. He learned how to sew so he could
teach her how to alter her clothes. He read cosmo & all the glamor mags.
& showed her how to do make up & hygene, all the hair stuff. If he
didn't know the answer to something he would tell her let me get back to
you & he would read up on it..

Sounds alot like me. It's a great learning
experience!

i know my kids already have an idea, but my son has been asking
questions, i told his father its his job to talk to him about the birds
& bee's..with my daughter its mine. Of course i'll talk to my son if he
asks me questions as well, but its time for him, hes going to be 12 yrs
old and already is interested in girls LOL

I base it on what I hear them say.....at a young age they just need to
know basics but as they grow and are exposed to way more then they need
to know more. My son is growing up without a father but we talk
extensively about the birds, bees, drugs, you name it. It seems to be a
every other day conversation. But the good thing is that we are
communicating and he knows I have his back if he has to walk away from a
tough peer pressure situation. Quick example to how we got to be
sooooooooooooo open. I found a note in his room from his then
girlfriend. It read I want to bang you so badly.......so we went out and
had ourselves quite the little talk. He was about to go into highschool
and he got the WHOLE version of "THE TALK" They broke up when he got to
highschool(she was one grade younger) and she went on to lose it to
someone else. But because I told him EVERYTHING..as shocked as he
was...he now trusts me to ask questions etc. Communicating is
everything.....and if they end up making a mistake they are far less
likely to try and hide it from you. I hope this helps.......

Best thing I did when son came to live w/us at 14.5. Told him
"I wasn't going to play the dad thing, we had been seperated to long.
Want to be dad/friends; want you to be able to tell me anything. If you
just killed someone, tell me & we will handle it together. We have
house rules & I enforce them." We built our relationship on that & it
is that way still. I knew 95% of what he did, good & bad. Found out
the other 5% since he joined the military. He has told me, he hopes he
came be as close w/his boys, as we were/are.

So to me communication/communication/communication; you & your kids will
make each other PROUD.