The Talk: Age-By-Age, Same Sex Relationships
Preschoolers
By Laura Betts, LICSW, MSW
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Helping Preschoolers Understand
Preschool children are starting to form their ideas about what a loving relationship is. Has your child come home to tell you they are going to marry so-in-so in his or her class? If so it’s on their radar. So this is a great time to help them understand about the different ways relationships can be organized. Again, always use concrete examples of people your child is familiar in order to help them empathize with others. Here’s an example of how a conversation may go:
“Some kids have a mom and a dad. Some kids have two moms. Some kids have two dads. Sometimes two moms love each other just like me and your (dad, mom) do. Your Aunt Lucy and Aunt Betsy love each other just like me and your (Dad, Mom).
- Remember, keep conversations simple. Look for natural openers to discuss loving relationships in an age-appropriate way. And take it slow.
- When your child has had enough to process, back off and let them think.
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