Exactly! Snakes can be poisonous and cause your death! Yikes.

The research indicates that it's very important to teach children the correct words for their body parts, all body parts including genitals. Using a fake name or avoiding any name at all for genitals sends the message that there is something bad or dirty or shameful about genitals....which affects a child's sense of self and future sexuality. The more detailed and accurate the information about bodies and sexuality, the better the outcomes for adolescents and young adults. Accurate and early discussion has been shown to decrease teen pregnancy rates as well as decreasing rates of STDs. Whereas the average age at which boys and girls start having sex (~15/16yrs) remains the same whether they have early education or not. Interesting, right?

We really need to start telling teenage girls and young women that they have as much of a right to pleasure during sex as teenage boys and men do. The studies on college-age women's attitudes and feelings are quite startling.

Bodily autonomy also needs to be taught very early on. This can really help to keep young children safe. My sister did this with my niece. She knows all about her body and what's okay and not okay. She knows what pedophiles are and that when she goes to swimming class etc nobody is allowed to touch her etc. She is a very well-prepared girl. I wish I'd been raised like that! My mother's approach was to shame and scare us. She never told us anything about our bodies or sex except to emphasize that we would be disowned if we were lesbians or pregnant out of wedlock. Helpful!