Questions: 4-6

4. You have an open-door bathroom policy while you potty train your almost 3-year-old. One day she asks if she can touch Daddy's penis. Dad should:

A. Scream, "Absolutely not!!"

B. Revoke the open-door policy immediately.

C. Say no, and calmly explain why she can't.

Answer: C. For a toddler, there's no difference between a foot, a neck, and a penis  -- they're all just body parts. Nor do they understand why such a request might embarrass anyone #151; especially their parents.

"When a child asks about bodies, it can be quite awkward for parents. That can make it difficult for you to deal with the question matter-of-factly," says Martin. This is a good opportunity to start teaching your child about what's private. The standard definition is that everything a bathing suit covers is private  -- and you can add that people don't usually show those private parts of their body outside the bathroom or let others touch them. (You can also add, except moms and dads when they need to clean you and doctors when they need to examine you.)

5. It's been awfully quiet upstairs. When you go up, you find your 5-year-old and his kindergarten pal with their clothes off, examining each other. You:

A. Tell them they need to have their clothes on for snacks downstairs.

B. Take the other kid home immediately, then give your son a time-out.

C. Apologize for barging in and close the door so they can have privacy.

Answer: A. If you make a big scene, you'll just scare the kids. But unless you're comfortable with the idea of your child playing these types of games until he satisfies his curiosity, you should probably step in and redirect him and his friend to another activity (snacks are always a good diversion).

"Children like to check out other kids' bodies," says Ladd. "You can't fault them for being curious, but you need to explain why bodies are private."

When you're all downstairs eating pretzels, tell them it's okay to be curious but on playdates they should keep their clothes on, say experts. Later, when your child's buddy has left, you can elaborate. This would be a good opportunity to tell him what's okay touching  -- hugging your family and friends  -- and what's not #151; touching other people's genitals or letting people touch his.

If he's still interested in what bodies look like, you can get him an age-appropriate book. (For some good choices, see "Books for All Ages.")

Be sure to call the other child's parents and tell them what the kids were up to so they can have their own discussion. It's also wise for you and your mate to get in sync, says Martin. "Parents should talk to each other about how they want to talk to their kids about sex," she says. "That way, they can be consistent."

6. Your 3-year-old wants to know if he can have a baby too. You:

A: Laugh at him.

B: Assure him that if he really wants to when he grows up, he can.

C: Tell him no, only mommies can have babies.

Answer: C. It might seem like an adorably cute statement to you, but to a 3-year-old it's no joke. He won't understand why he can't have babies too unless you tell him why.

"This isn't a sex question at all, it's a reproduction question," says Meg Zweiback, associate clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing. "He wants to know where newborns come from. You can tell him they come from mommies and that he can be a daddy and help make a baby when he's grown-up."

If your little boy feels cheated, that's a cue to sit him down and tell him all the ways a father helps take care of an infant.

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