✴ Sex education in the preschool ✴

Although the family is the area with the greatest influence on the sexual education of boys and girls, the preschool has a fundamental responsibility. Sometimes, a "small" complement because families are able to receive adequate information and receive values related to sexuality.

But others are a "huge" compliment because families do not have these possibilities, and perhaps preschool is the only area in which children receive this knowledge that is so important for their present and future life.

There are some aspects to take into account to select the information: that children have possibilities to understand, transmit it properly and make sure it was understood:

• The healthy development of children's sexuality is part of their human rights, and adults are irreplaceable actors in this process.

• Children often have more information about sexuality than adults think. They are in permanent contact with sources of information (older brothers, TV, video games, stories ...), but this is not always adequate.

In general, children need an accompaniment to understand it. Therefore, when they ask questions, it is very important to know why they ask that. Thus, we can verify the information they already have and the source from which they extracted it. Starting from what they know gives us the possibility to complete, correct or confirm the information they have. In this way, they will remain satisfied, and we will also prevent the risk of confusing them with the addition of other content that they are not able to understand correctly.

• Boys and girls are naturally curious, and that feature should not be wasted. If the teacher does not receive a response that will confirm, they will look for it in another area, and they may not ask her again.

• Without realizing it, many times the adults transmitted to children our own difficulties to talk about issues related to sexuality. They perceive that it is a topic that "should not be talked about" and, even if they do not understand why they will tend to avoid asking questions, remain with doubts or myths, and seek information in other areas.

• It is very rare that children do not show curiosity about issues related to sexuality. It happens that, sometimes, the questions are not so clear or direct. The teachers, with the help of the team, know how to interpret this not so explicit discourse better than anyone else.

• It is very important that students feel that they can count on their teachers when they have doubts or concerns about their sexuality. Many times they will choose to talk to their teacher rather than to someone in their family.

Addressing the issue of sex education in preschool is not new. For many years, initial education is perhaps the field of formal education in which some aspects related to self-esteem, knowledge of one's own body and expression of feelings are worked on more deeply: fundamental pillars of sexual education. However, like any complex educational process, it is mediated by the socioeconomic situation, and crossed by the cultural crisis that our country suffers, which forces us to constantly think and rethink work objectives and methodologies.

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Reference

• https://www.bebesymas.com/consejos/educacion-sexual-para-ninos-de-3-a-5-anos-como-hablar-a-los-ninos
• http://www.aulaviolenciadegeneroenlocal.es/consejosescolares/archivos/La_educacion_sexual_de_la_primera_infancia_Guia_para_madres_padres_y_profesorado_de_EI.pdf