Parenting Guides

Addressing Kids' Questions About Homosexuality

What to do when kids ask why someone is gay, or why their friend has two mommies or daddies

By Lesley Riva, Parenting
 
See Also
What is and isn't known about kids' sexuality, and how parents can show their love whether their kids are gay or straight - Parenting.com
"What dat?" "Why?" "Where do babies come from?" Stumped? Here's how to craft a clever response - Parenting.com
How to respond to your child's embarrassing questions - Parenting.com
How to answer your child's tough questions about human sexuality - Parenting.com

Your 6-year-old comes home from a playdate reporting that Maya has two mommies. She wants to know how that's possible; you want to know how to respond. Keep things simple, says sexuality educator Deborah Roffman. "Kids this age know that there is a unique relationship called a couple: that two people have feelings for each other and choose to make a family together," she notes. Ask your child to name some couples she knows, then add some new information: "Sometimes grown-ups find that the person they want to spend their life with is a person of the same gender: a man with a man, or a woman with a woman. That's called being gay." There's no need to launch into a long explanation about homosexuality. The question is just about family constellations. When you look at it that way, it's easier to address.



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