Kids and Sex Education...what should be the right age to discuss this?

1. 81

   gajanis786posted 13 years ago

   Let's discuss this important subject again as what is the right age to discuss this subject with your children....do the age also vary in case of a boy and a girl?

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   1. 67

      NateSeanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My parents have never been shy about sex education.
      
      From day one I knew where babies came from and that the stork was only involved if the mommy was into that sort of thing.
      
      That was twenty years ago and my youngest sibling is seven years old now. I don't know if my mother has the same attitude now that she did then, but something tells me she's not going to be shy about the subject with Mollie.

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   2. 60

      qwarkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      As soon as the child begins to question.
      Answer honestly and be adult about it.
      Qwark

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   3. 67

      Rastamermaidposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Very good question!
      
      It's been an ongoing discussion,when he ask things I answer.Now the questions are getting more advanced but I do see my son being alittle stand offish and having trouble to find the words for certain questions.
      
      When I asked him had any of his friends had sex,he told me No.But if you're an observant parent and know your child's friends,you can kind of tell who's sexually active.I said really,and called out a friends name,never had sex. He said Yes he has,I thought you meant school friends.
      
      Mom,how do you know?
      
      
      There is so much on TV and in movies that it breaks the ice,my son asked me about a condom after he saw The Hangover.
      
      With that being said,try to have an open dialogue with your kids,so that they get the correct information from the right source~YOU!

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      1. 67

         Rastamermaidposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Conversations started in 4th grade,he's in the 7th grade now.
         
         He's still a virgin,he knows where I stand on dating.
         
         He can not date until 16 yrs of age.He also knows that there are other things you can get from sex besides babies.STD's,veneral diseases,and HIV he knows that sex can kill you if you're not informed.

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   4. 58

      rieomposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would say by age nine.  This is young but kids are starting to have sex much younger and they need to know about sex and preventing pregnancy.

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   5. 60

      Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      My great great great great, and their great great Fathers and grandfathers, were never taught sex education ... at elementary school or the seminaries ...
      
      Nature, does not require Sex Education, or researches like at the Kinsey's, which is an unnecessary understanding of Sexuality  ...  a generally morbid understanding of the Sex's slot, in Human Social Behavior
      
      All, those born, must Procreate ... Naturally. You don't need be taught whats to be done ... when you are an adult ... you do it, Naturally.
      
      This sex education in kindergartens, is just another one of the silly fads we can adopt to spoil a child's mind ... just because, there are flaws in your Social Management Systems ...
      
      The Truth Is ... there are a few rascals, out there amongst the millions ... there have been these rascals in the past, and there will be rascal in future.
      
      What we need in these dire times, is Adult education ... on how to keep a sharp eye, on these deranged ones ... thats what all our great great great fathers and mothers did ... and helped us ... their Children ... grow up, Naturally.

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      1. 62

         pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         sex education in kindergardens is idiotic idea but it doesnot matter what our great great great great fathers and grandfathers were taught or not taught...we can't live by their standards today...we need to look at how much opportunities they had to mingle with opposite sex , did they have kids at age when they themselves were kids , did they have something called aids and such things...challenges which they faced , we didnt and challenges which we face , they didn't ..we can't say...oh our ancestors lived in jungle and so we are natural jungle dewellers and so we dont need teaching about how to go in jungle!!!!!!!....every era is different and needs are different...today we have working parents in most countries ...today we have internet which makes people be in touch with each other at early age...we need sex education...

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         1. 60

            Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Yes you are right ... I forgot about HIV/AIDS and other STD s.
            
            But you will be surprised ... our great great greats ... were Naturally active, upon achieving maturity.
            
            My grand mother was wed off at 12 ... she lived happily with my grandfather to the ripe old age of 80 ... had more than six surviving kids, one was my mother ... so reckon,  it must have been OK ... for I am the living proof ... and I don't call my grandfather a pedophile !
            
            The only difference I note in what I am saying and what you are saying, Is, the Difference ... That she was """ MARRIED """ to my grandfather ... not his ""LIVE IN "" bed partner ... I think, I will not put in the exclamation symbol here.
            
            P.S. My Mother, aunts and uncles, also lived happy successful lives, kept a close eye, on how we grew up ... for I have three well educated, healthy kids, and several dozen cousins ... What is stated here, by the way, was the normal Routine ... followed worldwide, till these Psychiatrists came along,.

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            1. 62

               pisean282311posted 13 years agoin reply to this

               my mother married when she was 16 and my grandmother married when she was mere 11...but i wont want my daughter to marry at such tender age...life is not just having kids...yes darwin works in background of human beings and continuation of species rules but as human species which can think , life is not just basics...

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               1. 60

                  Shahid Bukhariposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  It always Is ... the brass tacks, my friend ... I am 70, reckon, I can say it.

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   6. 60

      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      I believe that kids today know more about sex than we give them credit for, and by ages 10 or 11 if you have not sat down with your kid and had a good long strait from the shoulder talk with them about this subject then you as a parent, are not a parent and deserve the consequences that might come.

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2. 62

   Daniel Carterposted 13 years ago

   When they have questions, answer them. Give them the information they need at the level of understanding they have at their age. You don't need to explain everything. Just answer the question and leave it at that. More will come, and it gets a little more involved in time as they begin to wonder about their own sexuality.

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   1. 67

      NateSeanposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I also wish to add that my sister knows what a lesbian is. It's not clear to me if she learned that from my mother or at school. But since I learned it at school when I was in third grade, I'm going with the latter.

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   2. 67

      aka-djposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.
      
      Take very opportunity, in a way that's appropriate for the age and level of maturity/intellect of the child. If you have no idea, I know there are some great books available to learn from. Start reading asap. Tailor what you learn to your own family.

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3. 66

   Greek Oneposted 13 years ago

   12 for a boy...
   
   67 for a girl

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   1. 57

      EthanWilliamsonposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      hehe..yeah

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4. 58

   cobrienposted 13 years ago

   In all the parenting and child development classes I took, I was taught to answer kids questions honestly and directly as they ask them.

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5. 81

   Midnight Oilposted 13 years ago

   It should be an ongoing process building up from simple awareness though to the whole subject by the time they are in their early teens. 
   
   Being sexually, and financially illiterate has and still is major problem in teenagers and causes may problems in the late teens/early twenties.

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6. 60

   SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago

   ...very early...and using the correct terminology...ensuring a healthy knowledge of their own body and the opposite sex...plant the seeds early so that a 2 way conversation continues from their early learning years into teenage years...ensuring they are not afraid to ask questions, etc. etc. and equipped with the correct information so they can make good informed decisions and have a clear and healthy understanding as they mature....it is best to be learned at home and not learned for the first time through the educational system or some other source.

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7. 92

   cat on a soapboxposted 13 years ago

   Be prepared and open from the get-go. Questions can start in pre-school. There is no need to go into too much detail, just answer as simply as necessary. Your child will ask more if not satisfied. Sometimes the birth of pets or siblings or a TV show will present a good opportunity.
   Don't wait until puberty, your child will be embarassed.
   Be willing to talk about sex at any age. Your attitude and comfort about it will influence your children greatly. If you have difficulty with this, perhaps another family member or an age-appropriate book can help you along.

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8. 60

   banzaradiwanaposted 13 years ago

   I agree with Cat On A Soapbox on the matter of sex education for kids.It also depends how close I'm to my kids and of course the trust factor is equally important.Even if the kids discuss with friends which is actually their peer group they will still have a healthy curiosity for learning details as they would next love to show it off to those who are still ignorant.Adults here should be open,flexible&understanding

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9. 60

   joshhunt83posted 13 years ago

   Sex is human nature and people should have the opportunity to learn about it from an early age. Maybe with a greater level of education at a young age people will be able to make a more informed decisions as they go through adolescence.

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10. 61

    wormdoposted 13 years ago

    My mother gave me the basics when I was about nine, then handed me a few books to read. Then when I was fourteen she gave me some more books that tackled more complicated issues (like sexuality) and just let me read them in my own time. I think I turned out okay.

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11. 60

    Pandoras Boxposted 13 years ago

    Ok! Now that's quite an accomplishment.
    
    Seriously, really? Fuck that. I'll just stick to music.

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12. 60

    Bellamieposted 13 years ago

    One of my kids approached me after school's sex ed class and asked how egg gets fertilized?  I took her to walk in closet and closed door.  (have two younger kids)  I explained without fudging on words.  She looked pale.  I thought I made a mistake. "mom! that's gross!  the teacher didn't say that!"  My daughter was only ten or eleven years old.  Too young and I think that should be left to parents to explain when they feel child is mature enough to understand.  I don't think it belongs in school.

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    1. 85

       Polly Cposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       My son has already learned this at school, he is aged 10 and at school in the UK. The age at which sex ed is taught here has been changed in recent years. I think he started at 9, or maybe 8 (can't quite remember but you have to sign a form if you want your child to opt out - I don't think anyone did though).  At that time it was all pretty innocent stuff, but this year (Year 6, aged 10-11) it seemed more in depth and he has told me about some of the videos they have watched (with real people in). He knows about how an egg is fertilised, plus other stuff relating to body changes. I personally had not really got around to telling him much at all unless he had a question.
       
       I think it is probably a good thing that this kind of stuff is taught in school - believe me, children of junior school age are not exactly innocent. Playground talk (which often comes from older children esp. those with older siblings is often inaccurate at best and so if children are going to talk about such things anyway they might as well know the truth. You can tell your child absolutely nothing at all, but unless you live in a remote area and never mix with other kids, they will discover a lot more than you think, a lot earlier than perhaps kids in the past did. It's all part of life anyway, and in my mind questions deserve a truthful, but age appropriate answer.

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13. 60

    Bellamieposted 13 years ago

    let me be a little more specific.  My daughter wanted to know how the "sperm-guy" got from the male into the female.  Teachers manage to tell them all the scientific stuff but conveniently forgot to tell kids the rest of the picture.

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14. 61

    Dada_Philposted 13 years ago

    Kids and sex education? I agree with most of the postings but I think that the general consensus would be in regard to what age should the parent teach his or her own children. We have all been doing it the same way since the beginning of time
    
    If the question is asked in context of school curriculum,then the answer would be; NEVER. This is not a part of my child's life that the government should be allowed to interfere with. Most people have strong ideas about how to raise their own children and would not want me to school them or there children on what is right or wrong. Sex education is all about morality on whatever level the individual places it. If you don't want a stranger like me to discuss it with your children, why would you want a stranger who happens to have a degree in education to discuss it?
    
    This is socialism and social engineering at it's worst. The government will try to invade the most private areas of your life if you let them and what I wish to teach my kids concerning sex deals with my moral beliefs. This is the most private and important part of raising my children and I don't place any faith in the Government to take my job as a parent away from me.
    
    The Government continually tries to do this and figures it can do it because the common citizen is to weak to fight it out in the court.
    

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