Overview Three-year-old children -- both boys are girls -- are inquisitive and constantly exploring new ideas and concepts. Among the concepts 3-year-old children may explore are their own bodies. This exploration often includes the discovery of private parts. This interest is perfectly healthy and natural. While there is no need to explain the concepts of sex and reproduction in detail to your 3-year-old daughter, it is perfectly okay for you to explain private parts, using their anatomically correct names, to your daughter in terms she will understand. 1. Teach your daughter the anatomically correct names for private parts. KidsHealth.org indicates that 67 percent of parents in Western lands choose to teach their children the appropriate names of private parts by the age of three. Teach your daughter that words such as penis and vagina can be said without sounding silly or inspiring embarrassment. 2. Show your daughter children's books that explain her anatomy. Children's books contain illustrations that are age-appropriate with explanations that your 3-year-old daughter can understand. 3. Use worksheets. Provide your daughter with handouts outlining the anatomy of both female and male children. Allow your daughter to see the differences in male and female anatomy and answer any questions she might have. Answer in simple terms but avoid using slang names for private body parts. 4. Explain the importance of keeping your private parts covered in public. Explain to your daughter that it is okay to touch her private parts behind closed doors, but not in public. Also explain that it is not okay to allow other people to touch your private parts unless a doctor needs to during a check-up. 5. Explain to your daughter that is it okay to ask questions and ask her if she has any questions regarding her private parts. 6. Use everyday events to explain private parts to children. If a family friend has a baby, your 3-year-old daughter may wonder how the baby got there. Use simple terms; three-year-old children do not need to understand the concept of sexual intercourse. Tips and Warnings * Avoid giggling or laughing when your daughter asks a question, even if the question seems cute.