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Kids & the birds and the bees
—a modern minefield
There has been plenty of debate about the sexualisation of children in recent times
- and judging by some of the questions Australian children are now asking about sex,
parents have their hands full.
To help parents deal with this modern-day minefield, a new publication showcases 500+ Questions
Kids Have About Sex - complete with expert advice, written in a way kids will understand.
"We make the point that Mums and Dads are the first stop when it comes to these questions,
and our book is next - although parents will no doubt find it an invaluable resource as well,"
notes Karen Morris, CEO of Interrelate Family Centres - an Australian organisation assisting
families for over eighty years.
KIDS CURIOSITY ABOUT SEX
Examples of some of the questions and answers
Kid’s Q: How big can breasts get?
A: Just like other body parts, sizes can be quite different from one person to another,
but there is a limit to how big breasts can get.
The largest recorded breasts weighed 12.7 kg each! Large breasts can create a lot of strain on the neck and back muscles
and can make some physical tasks quite difficult. Not every woman grows big breasts. One good thing to know though,
is that if a woman chooses to breast feed her baby, she can be successful no matter what size her breasts are.
Kid’s Q: What are blue balls?
A: They are testicles that get sore because they have been excited/ stimulated for a while.
“Balls” is a slang word for testicles. Sometimes they ache or hurt, especially if a man is sexually aroused
and he does not ejaculate for a long time. Some people call this ‘blue balls’.
Kid’s Q: How long does pubic hair grow?
A: It usually stays fairly short, but…read on.
Pubic hair usually only lasts for 6 to 8 months and then falls out. Not at the same time though!
Because of this replacement, pubic hair usually stays short. The longest pubic hair recorded
was when a 19th century midwife reported a woman she had visited had pubic hair that had grown
longer than her knees so she had plaited it and tied it up between her legs. This is very unusual
though so don’t stress about it.
Kid’s Q: How many times can you get a wet dream?
A: It varies a lot.
Some boys have lots of wet dreams at night while other boys have hardly any. It is not a measure of how many sperm
are being made; it’s just the body’s way of practicing and getting rid of the excess sperm and/or semen.
Kid’s Q: How do the sperm get out if the man is a virgin?
A: Sperm come out in wet dreams or through masturbation whether a man is a virgin or not.
If sperm are not used for sexual intercourse, it can leave the penis in a wet dream, or when a boy masturbates.
Most just die off and dissolve in the testicles. A virgin is someone who has not had sexual intercourse (sex)
and the sperm can come out without having sex.
Other Kids’ Questions include:
Why do guys have nipples? 
Why do girls get moody when they have their periods?
Why do ladies get breast implants?
What does an orgasm feel like?
Is it possible to have a sex change? How?
How do 2 gay people get babies?
Do most people use Viagra?
Is it OK to be a lesbian because I am?
Are there side effects to masturbation?
What happens if your penis gets stuck in the girls’ vagina?
How long does it take to get horny during sex?
If you have only 1 testicle, do you produce half as much sperm
I’m crazy about a boy and want a baby. What should I do?
How often are we supposed to get periods, because I get 2 a day.
Can you tell if someone has had sex by looking at them. If so, how?
500+ Questions Kids Have about Sex: Co-written by Lyndall Caldwell and Gaye Dell
in collaboration with Interrelate staff. Designed and illustrated by Gaye Dell.
500+ Questions Kids Have about Sex is an initiative of Interrelate Family Centres.
Interrelate began helping communities back in 1926, when it created the ‘Father and Son’ movement.
Since then, its services and programs have expanded and evolved so that now it provides assistance to
over 50,000 children and family members every year. This unequalled experience with families has
allowed Interrelate to develop new resources to assist, and keep in step with, the families of today.
To arrange interviews – and copy of the book, contact:
Karen Morris, CEO 0417 233 752
Jonathan Toussaint, Director 0419 697 018
Rachel Evans, Director 0438 401 790
Gaye Dell, Co-Author / Illustrator 07 5545 3261 |
