These Words Can Be VERY Awkward To Explain To Kids

Awkward!

Kids are like sponges. They soak in the words they hear and see around them, and slowly their vocabularies build. But, sometimes, the words kids see and hear are not exactly PG.

No matter how many times you’ve practiced these hard talks in front of the mirror, chances are your kids are going to come up with something you never thought to define. That’s where we come in! We asked parents to share some of the more, ahem, awkward words their kids have asked them to explain.

WATCH: We Asked: The Hardest Words You Have To Explain To Kids

masturbation

Hey, no one said this was going to be easy! Whether they call it masturbation or one of the myriad euphemisms out there for the ultimate act of self-gratification, this word is bound to set many an unprepared parent off on a stuttering spell.

Take a deep breath, folks. Masturbation is just the stimulation or manipulation of one’s own genitals, especially to orgasm. See? Was that so hard?

menstruation

The fight to end period shaming may finally put a bloody end to the stigma that comes with the monthly menses. But if the thought of explaining menstruation to your child leads to the ruination of your good mood, you might need this.Menstruation is the periodic discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the uterus, occurring approximately monthly from puberty to menopause in nonpregnant women and females of other primate species. It’s simple science.

God

With dozens of religions in this world, as well as people who don’t subscribe to any religion at all, discussions of God are intensely personal.

We can’t tell you what to say to your kids about God, but we can tell you that there is more than one definition for the word, as it means different things to different people.

Perhaps one of these definitions will fit your family?

• The one Supreme Being, the creator and ruler of the universe.
• The Supreme Being considered with reference to a particular attribute.
• One of several deities presiding over some portion of worldly affairs (in this case, the g is lowercase).
• A supreme being according to some particular conception (in this case, the g is lowercase).
• The Supreme Being, understood as Life, Truth, Love, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Principle.
• An image of a deity; an idol (in this case, the g is lowercase).
• Any deified person or object (in this case, the g is lowercase).

virgin

Whether you’re listening to Madonna songs or perusing the cocktails menu at your local eatery, let’s face it, the word virgin is hard to avoid. It’s even a major plot point in some children’s movies, as Twitter fan Susan W told us!

Your answer will, of course, depend on context. If they’re asking about a drink, you can simply say a virgin is a mixed drink resembling a specific cocktail but made without any alcoholic ingredient

If you’re going the human route, on the other hand, you can’t go wrong with this definition: a person who has never had sexual intercourse.

Christmas

Like discussions of God, sharing the meaning of Christmas with kids can be very easy for some families and very difficult for others. It comes back to personal religious beliefs, which the dictionary cannot dictate.

What we can tell you is that Christmas is defined as the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25th and now generally observed as a legal holiday and an occasion for exchanging gifts.

The rest is up to you.

boner

There are few words more likely to make little kids, or grown-ups for that matter, giggle than the word boner. And where there are giggles, there are bound to be questions.

So, let’s go straight to the scientific explanation of this one, shall we? A boner is an erection of the penis.

queef

OK, maybe there are words even more giggle-inducing than boner.

Queef may be a vulgar word, but we’ve got you covered with a definition. It’s defined as “an expulsion of air through the vagina.” If that doesn’t stop the giggles, tell them to go read the dictionary. We’ve got plenty more where that came from.