October is National Family Sexuality Education Month. Here are some tips on how to educate yourself so you won’t be caught too off-guard by those precocious questions children and teens tend to ask.

What questions? Questions like the ones highlighted in the recent Planned Parenthood video “It’s Time to Talk.” For instance, your child might want to know where babies come from, what a period is, if they will get “boobs,” why their penis is growing, and more. The video is worth a watch. It humorously highlights what not to say before sharing the following important tips:

• Let your child know it is OK to ask questions. Saying “that’s a good question” not only validates a child’s curiosity, but also gives you some time to come up with a good answer.

• Listen. Ask them to share what they already know about the topic. This will help you understand what information they have, what they are really asking, and maybe most importantly, what misinformation they may have.

• Give truthful, useful, accurate information. If it’s a factual question, give a factual answer.  If it’s value-laden, share your values and what you hope for your child. Look something up together if you don’t know the answer. This doesn’t mean you have to share your every adolescent experience. I’m a firm believer in keeping your boundaries. Whatever you did or didn’t do as an adolescent is in the past. What we need to do as parents is give our children the tools with which to make their own responsible, healthy decisions.

One way to do that is to be an “askable” parent. Be someone to whom they can come for accurate, trustworthy information. Be “unshockable.” Don’t react negatively or angrily when asked a shocking question. Don’t assume your child is engaging in a behavior just because they are asking about it.  Take a breath, ask what they already know and be willing to find out more.

You’re not alone. There are lots of resources available for parents and caregivers. Check out plannedparenthood.org/parents for information and links on topics like:

• Parent-teen relationships

• Talking with kids about sex and sexuality

• Keeping teens healthy by setting boundaries

• Helping teens delay sex

• Helping teens who may be sexually active

• Parenting LGBT youth

One more thing. If you are wondering when the right time to talk is — it’s now. It’s all the time.  It’s when you see an article or something on TV or online or hear a story they’ve told you about something that happened or they tell you a joke. Talk, talk and talk some more… and listen.  National Family Sexuality Education Month is just one reason to begin.

More resources

• For information about what is typical at different ages and how to support children to develop healthy attitudes about their bodies and sexuality, check out the Families Are Talking article at www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_Normal.

• To learn how your group or organization can host a “Families Are Talking” workshop, email education@ppgnw.org.