Knock On Your Child's Door When They Hit This Age, Says Former Sex Ed Teacher

When is a good age to start knocking on a child's bedroom door? A sex education expert weighs in... A former sex education teacher has opened up about the age where parents might want to start knocking on their child’s bedroom door – and it might just surprise you. A lot of parents might consider puberty as the best time to start knocking on a child’s bedroom door.But Kathleen Hema, who is known for helping parents navigate sex talks with their kids, thinks we should be starting way earlier.When to start knocking on a child’s bedroom doorTaking to Instagram, the expert shared three tips she’d “immediately start doing” if her child turned five years old – and point one on her list is knocking on their bedroom door (and making a habit of it). Hema said doing this shows children that you are “setting and maintaining a boundary”. She also noted that it’s teaching them that they should be knocking on your bedroom door when it’s shut (you get the drift).Parents also note it’s about teaching kids “common decency and respect”.Clinic psychologist Lisa Strohman agrees that by school-age (from the age of four), it’s a good idea to start knocking before entering a child’s room. She told Parents: “While they may not request privacy in the same way older children do, you can start knocking before entering their room – especially if they’re playing, reading, or having private time.”Although the expert did caveat that if a parent suspects their child is injured or doing something dangerous, they should obviously go straight in. As children enter their tween and teen years, she noted they will increasingly be asking for more privacy – and it’s crucial parents give it them.Yet it’s also important to be there for them, regularly checking in and “keeping channels of communication open”. What else might parents want to try when kids turn five?The sex ed expert also advised parents to teach their kids how to clean their own genitals (if they haven’t already).“Starting this shift in language around five years old is helping to develop their bodily autonomy ... You want them to develop the self-efficacy that they can take care of their own body and this includes cleaning their own genitals,” she explained.And her last point – which she said she wishes she’d implemented earlier as it’s been a “game-changer” – is what she refers to as “phone-free at 5″.This is where she puts her own phone away for one hour when her kids are home – starting at 5pm (although she noted parents might want to choose a different one-hour window). Related...People Are Sharing 'Unhinged' Parenting Hacks That Shouldn't Work, But DoAre You A FAFO Parent? Here's What That Actually MeansI Was A 'Problem Child'. Here Are 3 Parenting Rules I Now Swear By

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