Tips for Parenting Infants

Good news! This is the perfect time to start talking to your baby about anatomy. If you only talk about heads, shoulders, knees and toes, some very important parts – and opportunities – are missed! As you change your baby’s diaper, say things like, “Here’s your nose, here’s your elbow, here’s your penis / here’s your vagina, here’s your knee, here are your toes!” This gives you an opportunity to practice naming body parts you may not be comfortable naming – or that no one named for you as a child. If you start now, you are paving the way for open communication in the future. You are giving your child the ability to talk about sex as and when they grow up. You are also sending a very important message to your child, “You can talk to me about sexuality.” Remember, if you don’t educate your kids about sex, someone else will!