I know it's important to talk to your children about sex, but I am afraid if I say too much about it that my 8 year old son will want to "try it out" on one of his friends that is a girl. Is that a common worry?

You're not the only parent to worry that her eight-year old might try out sex after he learns about it. But most kids have the opposite reaction. "That's gross!" is the typical response, after which your child may wonder why you (or anyone) would try something so peculiar. If your son reacts like this, simply tell him that as long as he thinks it's gross, he doesn't have to do it. But when he's older, he may feel differently.

Of course, whether they learn about intercourse or not, some kids your son's age do experiment with their friends. It's believed that at least one half of all boys and one third of girls engage in a game of "sex play" (also known as playing doctor) before they reach puberty. But sex play almost never involves any kind of penetration. Most often kids find some secret place, show a friend a usually hidden part of their body, get a glimpse of their friend, and then cover up. Sometimes touching is involved.

These sorts of games don't appear to present a problem and are probably a healthy part of sexual development, especially when no one is pushed into playing or teased for having joined in.