Have you found that your adolescent son does not want to talk to you about anything having to do with puberty? You are certainly not alone. This is a big concern of most parents. Puberty puts your son on the pathway to sexual maturity and that means there is lots of important information he should know.

Here are three suggestions to help you get the conversation going at different ages.

1. If your son is 8-10 years old, he is probably still willing to talk a little about his changing body. Don’t overwhelm him. Ten minutes or less on a single topic is long enough. An example of a simple topic could be to mention changes he is going to notice in his genitals during puberty. His scrotum will grow first and then in a couple of years, his penis will become noticeably longer and wider. Every boy is different. That should take ten minutes or less. Smile and walk away.  Selecting simple topics delivered in brief conversations will add up to lots of knowledge for your son in just a few years.
2. If your son is a little older, maybe 11 years or more, it is time for him to learn about ejaculation. He has probably been experiencing erections since he was a little boy. Ejaculations are a new experience that begin during puberty and include an erection. The semen that comes out during an ejaculation contains both sperm and fluid to support the sperm. An ejaculation is about one teaspoon of fluid and around 100 million sperm. Again, in less than 10 minutes, he will be dazzled, but don’t expect a positive response or a thank you.
3. If your son is 13 years or older, it is time to talk about how sperm meet eggs to form a baby. That could be about a ten-minute talk, but so important. As a result of an ejaculation into the vagina, sexual intercourse, sperm make their way to the egg. One sperm out of about 100 million in the ejaculate, joins the egg and a baby starts to form. Again, five minutes or less. At this age, there are so many little topics you can mention. They will change his life and amaze him with how much you know.

Based on your son’s age, you could jot down a list of small topics that you want to teach him in the next few months.  Even if he seems like he is not happy about your impromptu little talks, he actually appreciates what you are doing. Don’t let his resistance stop you.

Whether you are mom or dad, get your small topics ready and make sure your son is prepared for sexual maturity when the time comes.