Stages Of Development – Children 0 to 5 Years

•Questions are often asked by children as young as 3 about bodies & babies as they try to find out about the world. A simple, short answer will do

•There is an awareness of male/female differences at this age

•Using books that show parts of the body can be useful to raise topics even when children don’t ask questions

•Opportunities will arise to explain what is acceptable behaviour in public & private as well as the difference between wanted & unwanted touching. It is common for children of this age to touch their own genital area for comfort

•Children will learn about relationships from the people around them

•They will also start to mix with other children at nursery/school & learn things from them

•Children may hear lots of different words for body parts – this can be confusing, especially once they go to school. Teaching your child the correct language for body parts (even if you use other words in the house) can reduce confusion and can make your child safer. Children who can talk about their private parts using the correct language may be a deterrent to abusers