TuscMoms.com

Here are some tips for talking to your child about sexual orientation. I like how this organization breaks it down for you and tells you how to approach the subject with your pre-schooler, school-age child and teen (see the links on the right side of this tips page).

We have a gay family member so we will definitely be talking about this with Jack at some point. In today's society I don't know how you can NOT talk about it even if you don't have a gay person in your life. There are so many openly gay people. I think it's wonderful how our society has become so much more accepting of gay people.

But I wonder at what age it's appropriate to start having these discussions with your child?

http://www1.nmha.org/whatdoesgaymean/discussionTips.cfm

Thanks for this Kristi! I think it's a really important topic to talk about with our kids too.

In terms of your question, I don't really think, at least at this age, that we need to make a point of bringing it up as a separate conversation. I think it can just be worked into regular discussions.

For example, Anabelle is so used to going places with both me and DH that if she sees a kid with just a mom in the mall or somewhere, she immediately asks - loudly and embarassingly I might add - "where is her daddy? Why doesn't she have a daddy?".

So, in addition to having a discussion about not being rude (LOL), we try to use that as a time to say that not everyone's family looks like ours. Etc. That as long as people love each other, they are family. That sort of thing.