[SMforshort]

How would you answer your six year old if they asked you "What is a condom"?

SM

[bakesgirls]

I'd tell them what it is and what it is used for.

[countrymel]

Depends on the context.

Has he found a used condom? Has he found a box of condoms in your drawer? Has he heard the word?

[Lucretia Borgia]

Don't know!

Sorry, I personally know what a condom is, not sure what I would tell my 6 yr old ......he asked me what tampons were the other day...he found one in my hand bag...I told him it was something girls sometimes use if they are bleeding....didn't tell him where etc....that seemed to satisfy him. Maybe with a condom I would say something similar ..."something men use sometimes.."...I would keep it vague...if i said" men put it on their penis so they don't impregnate a women they are having sex with" I would be there all day answering questions I don't think he's really old enough to understand!

[HollyOllyOxenfre...]

Probably something similar to Ferdinand, although I'd add in that it's something only grown ups need to worry about - when I was little and discovered that "seeds" were involved in getting pregnant I became terrified of eating bread with sesame seeds.

[niggles]

I'd answer it with a question or two to start with.

Where did you hear that?
What do you know about it?

And then I'd answer the question directly. The level of detail would depend if the child knows what sex is. If not, I'd say it's something men use to help keep themselves healthy, or their penis' healthy if a little more detail is required.

[Baggy]

I'd keep it short and not really go into detail.
Probably something like this:

It is something used to keep your body safe and also to stop a baby being made.

+

it's something only grown ups need to worry about

[raone]

I remember asking my mum that question at around eight. One of those AIDS ads was on tv. She got a little uncomfortable and told me to ask my brother. I'm guessing because he has a penis? His explanation certainly left nothing to the imagination!

[Alacritous~Andy]

My favourite response to any question like this is, "Why do you ask?"

Get some context before trying to guess what they need to know.

A friend of mine had her 7 yo ask, "Mum, what does porn stars mean?" After a very delicate, detailed response about the porn industry, sexualisation of women, etc, it turned out her child was asking because they were flicking through the program guide on the tv, and "Pawn Stars" (a show about second hand stuff) was coming up next, and the child was trying to work out if it was worth watching.

[Lucretia Borgia]

My favourite response to any question like this is, "Why do you ask?"

Get some context before trying to guess what they need to know.

A friend of mine had her 7 yo ask, "Mum, what does porn stars mean?" After a very delicate, detailed response about the porn industry, sexualisation of women, etc, it turned out her child was asking because they were flicking through the program guide on the tv, and "Pawn Stars" (a show about second hand stuff) was coming up next, and the child was trying to work out if it was worth watching.

Ha! Very funny...