What is the best way to respond to your son or daughter, just reaching puberty, when they are curious about the naked body of the opposite gender?

[kjs22222]

Naturally, boys and girls will be curious about this. Perhaps most today will learn without trying to. However, in the case they never learn from someone else first, what is the healthiest way to deal with the curiosity? One thing is for sure: showing your child porn is wrong. Could you show them figure drawings or paintings, or will this make their curiosity worse? Should they just be taught to fight the urge to learn this until they are married? Is there danger they will try to find out the answer themselves and get addicted to porn?

[GOLDFISH_smile]

A naked person isn't porn. Nudity isn't inherently sexual. If you've taught your kid that it is though, then yeah, I can see how you have a problem at that point.

Personally we avoided that problem entirely by just not hiding what naked people look like from our child. She knows what humans of opposite sex look like just like she knows what animals look like in opposite sexes, and she knows humans wear clothes to respect their culture or religion, express themselves, and protect themselves from weather.

It's really not even a problem if you don't make it into one.

[Anonymous]

i was boy crazy at that age, i would have let any boy see me naked

[DrPepper12]

If they're old enough to ask and / or are curious then you're obligated to give the truthful answer at their appropriate age level using the correct name for body parts while telling them that their body is theirs and is off limits to everyone but parents and a Dr in a Dr office and that it's perfectly fine and healthy to be curious and they should come to you with any questions.

[Sjoerd85]

I am a nudist, and should me and my wife have kids, they will grow up seeing us naked a lot (I don't wear clothing at home), as our house will always be clothing optional. So more than enough opportunity to see the opposite gender clothesfree and learn about it.

[dustybiker2]

Honesty.

[slatyb]

Porn addiction isn't a real thing.

[Chazmatazz269]

Not waiting until puberty to address kids’ curiosity about their bodies is the right way.
Also porn is about sex, not the body. You’re conflating issues.

[kjs22222]

I agree. My mention of porn has to do with the fact that if a young person tries on his/her own to learn what the body of the other gender looks like, he/she will almost inevitably find porn.

[Chazmatazz269]

I suppose that’s true. I guess i’m fortunate that i grew up in a world without the internet. We actually went outside and played with other kids. As it were, we played games like “doctor” and “house” to learn about ourselves and others’ bodies. We also had the Encyclopedia Britannica on our tiny bookshelf. I learned a lot from that. It would have been a different educational experience if every other page was covered in pornographic imagery. Ell oh ell!

[AviatorTom]

You answer their questions honestly, and in terms they can understand. Just like you've been doing since they first learned to talk.

[andreasderjuengere]

I'd point to my neighbour and say: ''you don't want to see that''.

If kid still insists, I'd find a nude beach to visit.

[exitseven]

Ask your mother

[Alex-Snow]

Nudity is not porn or sexual. At the right age I would show them what a naked person looks like and explain what the parts each do.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

You don't have to say nothing nor is it appropriate.

They can figure that out on their own as they become more mature.

[kjs22222]

Yeah I agree... the difficulty is if there is a risk they might learn the wrong way, but on the other hand, there is only so much you can do, so maybe silence is best.

[dean53AU]

There would be some educational stuff online if you Google it