I am just curious to find out from all of you out there what your thoughts are on this subject. I for one, was not talked to by my parents about sex, and as probably somewhat of a result, I have a very weird view of sex. I used to see it as deviant, as something that you only did when you were married, and as something that I was very uncomfortable with. Not anymore of course, since I took years to work through all of that, and learned that sex was just as natural as the most basic and primal actions we partake in, but it was a journey nonetheless. And was it, at least in part, because I didn’t learn anything about it from my parents? Possibly. Maybe. I’ll never truly know where those views came from, but I do know that being without the knowledge I have about sex now, definitely contributed to those feelings about it from when I was younger until more recently.
More importantly, I give the above question thought because of the state of the world today. If and when I decide to have children many years from now (many), I will want the best for my children. I will dote on them as parents do, and I will do my best to teach them about the world and what I have learned. I will, however, not make the same mistakes my parents made with me (God willing), one of which, includes talking to them and teaching them about their bodies and their natural urges, and God forbid; sex.
I will be that parent that buys my kids condoms, takes my daughter to the OB-GYN, and so on. I will be that parent that tells my kid, “If you run out of condoms, come see me. Don’t be embarrassed, and go unprotected, because I will totally buy them for you.” I will be that parent that talks to my kid, openly, about the consequences of unprotected promiscuous sex. I will be that parent that discusses sexuality, and the varying types of sexual orientation to my kid. I will do this, because I don’t want my kid to be one of the unfortunate victims of the “head in the sand” parents that pretend screaming “ABSTINENCE ONLY” will turn off an engorged clitoris or make an erect penis flaccid. I am not a person that is so diluted as to think that kids aren’t going to be curious about their bodies and urges, and as such, don’t need the protection from adult mentors, in the form of proper education and protection. I will talk to my kids about sex, and even though I go in with the knowledge that it may be an uncomfortable topic (even for me) to discuss with them, I am going to force myself to do it. Because they deserve the truth, in order to protect them from what’s out there.
But what will you guys do? Do you think that there are benefits in talking to your kids about sex? Do you think that it is harmful? Why? Will you also be willing to provide them with birth control and condoms? If not, why not? Will you show them the ins and outs, so that when they do have the opportunity to make a decision, they will chose the safest one? Comment away, I am dying to know. Seriously!
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