THE Talk - Wahiawa,HI

personally id go ahead and do it NOW this way she does NOT get the wrong information from someone and end up "jumping around naked" with some boy trying to get a baby to come play. Just go over the basics saying that to make a baby a man and a women should be in love and be in a relationship for a long long time (or married) and that both have to be ready and they go to bed together and have adult time and after time a baby is born. I wouldnt go into detail too much but i would tell her the basics

Maybe tell her the clinical truth. Good news is the clinical truth sounds so completely GROSS to an 8 year old she may NEVER want to do it!
I'm mean what Grandma T said is just EEWWWW-AH! to your average 2nd grader.

:)

I highly recommend the book "Where did I come from?" for this kind of situation. I remember my mom got that book when my sister and I started asking the tough questions. She was very forthright, read us this book and answered all questions. Sometimes we got the answers and other times the answers clicked as we got older. But, even if we didn't totally get her answers, we knew that we could ask any question and get a straight answer. I've always appreciated that about my mom.

Fast forward to when my almost 17 year old was in 7th grade. He started bringing home the most insane questions about sex. Of course, we had had "the talk" and read "Where did I come from?" so I knew he knew the basics. So, in honor of my mom, I just started answering questions in a forthright, clinical manner first, then re-answering them from an ethics point of view. After a full week of this, to and from school, I asked what was going on. It turned out that after the first day, EVERYONE in school learned that "Will's mom" would answer ANYTHING and they brought him all their questions. Priceless.

So, for me, the moral of the story was, either I can tell my kid what I want him to know OR he's going to hear it "on the streets." I'd rather it be me.

This story has far more impact for me today, as I learned yesterday that one of my most favorite students is now pregnant and, according to my son, a 14 year old freshman just had a baby. I'm sorry to say, I don't think 8 years old is "too soon" anymore.

<sigh>

It is time. I had a honest talk with our daughter at eight. She was asking lots of questions. She was always a mature child and was questioning what others had been saying about the exact process. I finally told her while she sat in the back seat and I was driving.

I also told her not all parents are comfortable talking about these things, so if she had questions or wanted to know more, she should speak with me or dad.. and to try not to share this info with others but to encourage them to talk with their parents. She said "not to worry", she "never wanted to talk about it again.". hee, hee.

Of course in 4th grade they began the talks about their bodies and human development so it lead to a few more conversations. I also found some books for her to look through.

Just discuss it calmly and try not to act embarrassed, just like you are giving directions or information about anything else you speak about.

There is a good book series for this age. The "American Girl" books.
You can check it out online like at Amazon and read the reviews.
Various topics, about the body too and their periods, how their body changes with maturity etc. Not about sex exactly... but about a girl's changing body.

Does your daughter even know that?

It is written for this age and to read with the Mom.

Maybe as a precursor for "the talk" with her.

I have a few, for my daughter. She likes it.

all the best,
Susan

You know your daughter best and what her maturity level is. However, I would be open and honest with her and have "the talk". When talking with her, make sure you tell her that your proud of her coming to you and that she can always come to you with any questions.

We used the book "Where Did I Come From" and the video of the same name when my stepdaughter was 8. Her mom was having a baby and she had very specific questions and some crazy misinformation so we thought it best to just clear it all up. She thought you had to be married first, and that her mom must have secretly gotten married because she was pregnant and she was very upset about the idea.

The book and video were very appropriate. We read the book together, then watched the video. Then we let her ask any questions. We let her look at the book on her own as well because she was very embarrassed.

The Talk went fine and she hasn't brought it up since. I'm sure we'll have to do some more specific talks when she gets older.

Good luck!

If you're really not ready, go with your gut and wait. Also, you have to be careful not to give her information that she will run and share with her friends. It could spiral out of control, get back to other parents and create a mess for those parents who are not ready to have "the talk". I'd just say what do you think? Hear her out and say, something along the lines, you're almost there and when I feel you're ready we can talk about it later, I promise. And if you don't want to say you promise, ask her if it's a deal?

i dont think so. granted you will probably have to have it before middle school. you dont have to do it now. i didnt know how it worked till i was 12, and only because i asked my sister right before she graduated high school. i will tell you this though, if you dont tell her, someone else will. and you may not like how they explain it.

My mom explained it to us in simple terms using our Barbie and Kens dolls when we in in about 2nd grade. Our Barbies became men-hating Amazon women after that. Our biggest concern was not so much the touching... but the naked part!

Why not just ask her if she has any questions and go from there. Give her simple answers and leave them at that unless she asks you further questions. I haven't looked (my kids are still little) but maybe there is a book you can read together. I remember getting read a how babies are made book by my teacher in second grade. I don't think you necessarily have to have the talk with her just yet if your not ready though.