- 1). Be prepared and have all information together before you start to talk with your child. Having everything together and within easy reach will keep the talk moving along. You need to know what you are going to say before you try and teach your child about AIDS.
- 2). Talk comfortably and concisely. If you fumble along while teaching he may not learn as much as he should. Practice with another adult until you are able to talk about every aspect of transmitting AIDS without blushing or stammering and getting embarrassed. This is too important to mess up.
- 3). Download information from a reputable site on the Internet that tells all the ways AIDS is spread from person to person and let your son read it. Reading something helps it sink in better than just saying it. Having the information in black and white will give more weight to it. After he has read the information go over each way that AIDS is spread in more detail, until you are sure he understands exactly how it happens.
- 4). Answer any questions he has honestly and as thoroughly as possible. Don’t be afraid to talk about intercourse and exactly what takes place should he ask. It’s ok to feel a little unsettled as long as you still help him understand. Don’t leave him with more questions so that he asks kids at school who might give him false information.
- 5). Debunk any myths he may have heard about contracting AIDS. You want him to have factual information so he can make the correct choices.
- 6). Show him stories about people with AIDS. First-hand accounts will really send home the dangers of AIDS. If you know someone with the disease let them talk with him. Talking with someone who is living with the condition and finding out what they go through will reinforce the reason to take precautions against contracting AIDS.
- 7). Avoid going overboard. While you want to teach him the dangers and ways to prevent getting AIDS, you don’t want to scare him to death and make him afraid of normal relationships. Explaining how AIDS is contracted and what happens afterward should be enough. He needs to know that he can still live his life, just to be careful and take precautions.
- 8). Repeat the conversation again at a later date. It’s good to have this talk more than once. Give him time to take it all in and then go over everything once more. Ask him to tell you what he learned and what he’s going to do to protect himself. Doing this lets you know that the talk was successful.
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