Being a parent is never easy! Aside from taking care of your children and helping them with home assignments, there are other significant things that parents need to look after. This includes masturbation, sex and gender identity. Talking to your child about these things may be a little awkward or even deeply uncomfortable. But these are necessary conversations and parents should address them to raise their kids with a healthy understanding of sex, their bodies and gender identities. But what can be the right age to talk about these things? Experts so far, have never really specified an age time for parents to discuss masturbation and gender identity. They should approach their kids, when they feel it will be beneficial for them to know. However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in its latest sex education guidelines, recommend teaching masturbation and gender identity to children in age group of 0-4 years. How to Talk to Your Kids and Younger Girls and Boys About Sexual Assault to Prevent Sexual Abuse?

Sexuality education is a lifelong process, and it should begin at early years to influence the later attitude towards sexuality. WHO in its “Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe, A framework for policy makers, educational and health authorities and specialists,” issued several guidelines on formal and informal sexual education, as a holistic approach. It is a jointly developed framework—WHO’s regional office for Europe, the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) and the members of the European Expert Group on Sexuality Education. They introduced the concept of holistic sexuality education to offer a concrete overview that shows which topics on sexuality education in European countries should entail, according to age groups.

In the detailed report, the organisation advised that children aged 0-4 are given, “information about enjoyment and pleasure when touching one’s body… masturbation.” In addition, toddlers should also be encouraged to gain awareness on gender identity and also given the right to explore gender identities. Below is the detailed description from WHO’s guidelines on masturbation and gender identity for children between 0-4 years:

  • Enjoyment and pleasure when touching one’s own body, early childhood masturbation.

  • Discovery of own body and genitals.

  • Enjoyment of physical closeness is a normal part of everyone’s life.

  • Tenderness and physical closeness as an expression of love and affection.

According to WHO, the above information will make the child gain awareness on gender identity, talk about (un)pleasurable feelings in one’s own body and express own needs, wishes and boundaries. The process will develop a positive attitude towards one’s body with all its functions, which, as a whole, will create a positive body image. The full report on WHO’s guidelines, can be read HERE.

WHO for the age 4-6 bracket, recommended educators to give information about same-sex relationships and help children develop respect for different norms regarding sexuality. The publication is targeted at policymakers, including educational and health authorities and other specialists working in these fields.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 30, 2020 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).