Rising 5th grader still hasn't asked about sex or puberty

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH always requested that we not talk to DS until he asked questions. He never has. Not even the usual where did I come from questions when he was younger. Is this odd?

Why did he request this?

This was not a good plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH always requested that we not talk to DS until he asked questions. He never has. Not even the usual where did I come from questions when he was younger. Is this odd?

Parents do the talk in 4th grade or earlier.
Clear the house of siblings and other parent, talk, draw pictures, use a book, etc.
You don’t passively wait, most kids are not going to ask you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He knows. Mine never asked. DS found out a lot of details in early elementary from older kids in his aftercare program. I didn’t know until years later. His friends we’re definitely talking about girls and sex by 5th grade, more in a silly goofy way than anything serious. We had many talks around 5th and 6th but it was often after we would overhear something inappropriate or too graphic in their conversations. Discussions about sex are ongoing and change over the years.

This. This is why.

And everyone in America remembers The Talk with their parent on this.

[Anonymous]

I never asked my parents anything about sex or puberty. My mother asked me I had any questions about sex...when I was 23.

[Anonymous]

Omg OP. It’s part of parenting. Do it.

[Anonymous]

They learn about it in school. At that time they are supposed to ask you questions.

[Anonymous]

Kids who aren’t asking questions by 10 don’t ask because they know you don’t want them too.

My kids are 11 and 13 and they have asked a million different questions. I answer everything. Trust me, your kids have questions and you want to be the one answering them.

[Anonymous]

You have to talk about it. DH’s request is odd. Is he just uncomfortable?

My son — also a rising 5th grader — didn’t ask. But I overheard some bizarre and physically impossible comment by a friend of his a year+ ago, so I got involved. Chatted casually about the funny comment that I overheard, talked basic facts, offered a book “assigned” to him by chapters, and things are fine. DH is not at all embarrassed to talk sex, so I offered him up for male-specific questions but so far DS still comes to me.

My parents never talked with me. I wish they would have. I was so naive, gullible, and unprepared compared my friends.