Sex Education
 

Sex education starts early whether we plan it or not. It is common to think that sex education means a lecture in a classroom or a seldom talk by parents at home. This is talking too narrow a view of the subject. Children are learning about the "fact of life" all through their childhood, if not in a good way, then in a bad way. Sex is a lot broader than just the matter of how babies are made. It includes the whole subject of how men and women get along with each other, and what their respective places are in dealing with the world.

School can't educate the children with lectures telling them that marriage is a relationship of mutual love and respect when their real-life experience tells a different story at home and else where. Children begins his/her sex education as soon as they can sense how his/her mother and father get along with each other in general, and how they feel about their sons and daughters


AOL has the subject highlighted today on their welcome screen.
Things you didn't want to know as a parent. Sex is now beginning as early as 5th grade. Oral sex is 50% involvement by 9th grade.
Oral sex is popular. 25% of girls have had at least 5 sex partners (not oral) by 9th grade, up from 5% in 1970. Talking about self esteem and girls with self esteem problems have had upwards to 50 partners.
It appears the familily discussions needs to begin around age 10 or you will quickly lose them to their peers.

Very interesting and startling information! This is a subject that I'm very fascinated with. Thank you for sharing! :)

you are welcome

You are so right mon Chat Chinois.To bad there aren' more places on the net where kids can go to learn some facts about the quetions they have.Little beyond abstainance lecturing is being done in the schools and most parents would sooner look the other way until something happens to their kid.But no sooner would an information centre pop up on the net,then some screwball would want to shut it down.

Scary stuff! The research is quite startling. I agree that something must be done...not only is middle school turning into a hot bed for oral sex and other things that should not be happening at that age, but no we've got to start worryingabout this stuff going on between kids on the playground too. Yikes! :eek:

I'm in favor of sex education, lots and lots of it. But what catches my eye when I see these sorts of numbers is the correlation between a lack of self confidence and multiple partners or early explorations. It makes me think that there is more than one problem to fix. Kids need to be able to get honest answers about sex, but we also to find other ways to build up their self-images and self-respect. I have no problem with a girl who wants to have 50 partnners, but it should be for the right reasons...not because she's trying to fill an empty place inside, or because she's trying to trade sex for acceptance.

My 2cents

There are several really great websites meant for kids that discuss puberty and sex ed. I think puberty101 is one.

Ginger I too worry that especially in middle school, when a girl is soooo body conscious and leary of her representation among her peers, girls begin to associate sexual attention with accceptance. I don't think people, parnets especially understand what a seriously volatile time middle school is. Too bad they have not taken the same approach with sex as they have with drugs as in the DARE program. Instead we have minimal sex ed and that is shrouded in mystery and extremely brief, rarely discussing the entire impact of body changes etc. The attitude alone seems to insinuate that these changes are something not to be discussed or to even be ashamed of.

I'm a big proponent of communicating about sex with your kids at every age -- obviously the messages change in content and detail as the kids get older...but I think that it's possible to create a healthy knowledge about sex in your kids.

Also, I think the self-respect issue is far larger than sex...sex is just a manifestation. Kids need their parents' love, time, and respect...and some don't get it.

From Canada
 

http://sexualityandu.ca/eng/


Here's a place that is trying to help....it is bookmarked on my kids 'puter. I believe in no way that it replaces the heart to heart talk...but every little bit helps....right?



BORU

Interesting site. Seems to have some good information. Does your child like it?