Our Preteen Sons Need to Know the Basics
If you have been following my blogs and videos, you know how important I think it is to make sure our sons have a solid understanding of the basic structure and function of their reproductive system as they enter puberty. We need to get ahead of what they might learn on the internet or from other sources that may not be accurate. It’s best if you have control over what they learn.
With that goal in mind, how much does an 8-10 year-old boy need to know about his reproductive system? One important piece of information is where sperm are produced.
You can refer to this anatomy figure for this information:
- Sperm are made inside hundreds of tiny coiled tubes inside the testicles. The sperm-making cells around the outside edge of each tube all begin making sperm at the same time. This is why his testicles begin to grow as puberty starts.
- Hormones, chemicals that travel in the blood, help the sperm to be produced inside the testicles.
- The sperm leave the testicles and travel inside a long tube called the vas deferens (vas DEF-ur-ins) to enter the penis.
- Sperm leave the penis during an ejaculation. In the next few years, your son will likely experience a wet dream and so now is a good time to begin talking about ejaculations.
You can find all of this information and much more in my book, “I’m a Boy, My Changing Body,” that’s available on Amazon. If you only want to teach your son what I described in this blog, you can go to the download tab on my website, www.anatomyforkids.com, and find a small section of the book called The Sperm Story listed under Book Topics.
Along with The Sperm Story, you will also receive a series of four 7-Minute Chats to help you as you guide your son. The 7-Minute Chats keep the content simple and brief. This is important when communicating with boys in this age-group.
Here is what one 7-Minute Chat looks like that goes along with the content in this blog.
You can use the 7-Minute Chat as a guide for the amount of content to talk about at one time. It can also be a great conversation starter as you and your son build a special relationship one 7-Minute Chat at a time.
Always remember, I’m on your team! We both have the same purpose, making sure your son is informed with accurate information through these important transitional years in his life.
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