Sex Education Part IV...

I'm not sure about you, but I don't recall ever having that Birds & Bees talk with either of my parents. I had my first kiss (of any kind!) just short of my 16th birthday. Yes, Sixteen Candles could have been about me! ;) I remember watching Porky's at a girlfriends house and seeing a few Playboys or something of my brother's and/or cousins. I was able to watch "R" rated movies growing up but had to cover my eyes with spread fingers during the sex scenes and of course close my ears. That and talk from the "mature" peers was how I learned about sex. And good first hand knowledge it was...or not. I think in 9th grade, Health Class was mandatory so that shed some light into my haze of confusion.

Not to do a complete 180 or anything from my upbringing, but my relationship with my son is VERY different. Maybe because when I was my son's age my parents were respectively 36 and 38. Yeah, I doubt that has anything to do with it. Maybe it was because they were devout Catholics and the church teaches of sin. Clearly sex outside of marriage without the sole notion of procreation is sin. Or maybe it was for completely other reasons unbeknownst to me that my parents didn't discuss it.

I on the other hand want my son to hear it from me. If I had a daughter, it wouldn't be any different. I don't think that boys inherently have the right to have sex to earn their manhood while girls should remain virgins to retain their innocence and purity. I'm also not in favor of condoning it either. I am in favor of educating and teaching of safe practices so that one day when he decides it's time, he's knowledgeable and prepared.

In 5th grade they teach sex education - although the real class title escapes me at the moment. It may be Health Class for him too, anyway. It is a series of three classes and he has had 2 to date. He received a book and also more information was sent home from the Dr. today. The Dr. advised that I read page two first before discussing it with my son. Wow thanks.

I could probably go into a lot of details here, but suddenly I'm afraid of the terms & agreements of blogging and wonder if sex education is in violation. Anyway, tonight we had another in depth conversation about the Birds and the Bees although I use men and women. I don't leave much out as I would rather he be informed of the information and he can make his own decisions. I don't let my emotions come into play as I explain different kinds of relationships and the various types of sex. We discussed protection and I even did a demonstration with a balloon and a candle. He asked some very good questions. He refuses to say the word sex.

I use to fear the day that this would come. The TALK. I wondered how, when and what I would say and how he would respond. I always thought that he would be older, but 11 year olds are getting pregnant. Is it ever too soon to talk to our children? I talk to him the way that I would want to be talked to. I know that now is probably easier than as a teenager when not only may it be too late, but who knows if he will still respect me or want to talk to his MOM about these things. I hope that he understands that he can discuss things with me freely and I will not judge him, as I believe he does. I had always hoped that maybe he would have these discussions with his dad, and maybe someday he will - but for now I need to know that one of his parents has discussed it with him.

I'm sure there are many people that would disagree with this. My thought is...if they don't hear it from us, who and what will they hear?