As a mother, there is a huge part of me that wishes we could get away with telling our children, that sex isn't acceptable before marriage. Yep don't worry I know we don't live back in the dark ages, and the children of today won't wait till marriage, just like our generation didn't.
I read an article earlier, on the morning after pill, and how it was available over the counter for women 17 yrs and older with I.D, and available on prescription for those younger than 17. Apparently some people would like it to be on the shelves, next to the condoms. Well I hate to say it but that got me thinking in a way only a mother and maybe a father can.
I know lately in the papers here, that some parents are concerned with the sex education our children are recieving in schools. I know for some parents, they think that the sex education can be to discriptive for the age of the children. new zealand has a high amount of teenage pregnancy's so isn't education the start to bringing this number down?
I personally don't think the morning after pill should be sold on shelves. We as adults need to be active when it comes to our children's sex education, we can't just rely on the school, or their mates, or them winging it as they go, no matter how embarrassing we might find it. We the parents need to explain to our children that having unprotected sex, in this day and age is like playing Russian Roulette. Pregnancy is only one of things they have to worry about.
We need to be able to communicate with our children about sex. We are nearly in 2012 and I have to say that some of my generation have to STOP being so prudish when it comes to discussing sex with our kids. We need to explain that underage sex is illegal, that for boys they should always use a condom (even if the girl says she is on the pill). And for girls we need to get them on the best birth control for them, weather it is the pill or the injection etc. It's not as if the information isn't out there. Our sons and daughters also need to have it reinforced into that it is their body and they need to take responsibilty for themselves. They need to know that no matter how much pressure they are under to have sex, that is ok to say NO.
We teach our children right from wrong, fact from fiction. We teach them to walk, talk, run, and toilet train them. We help them to learn to read, write and spell, so lets help them stay safe and protected as they move into the sexual part of their lives. The generation before ours were the prudish ones, when it came to sex education and the big sex talk NOT US. My opinion is, if I don't talk to my kids about sex, then I'm sending them into the world unprotected. As a mother my first instinct is to protect my kids, so I'm gonna make damn sure when they start having sex, they have the tooks and knowledge to protect themselves
Kimmy, your post made me to wonder whether prudish has some evolutionary role. Parents need to protect their progeny from irresponsible sex as much as from its trivialization. Discovering is an important part of sexual behavior, otherwise sex could become less desired and even psychologically unhealthy. Parents need to "protect" from sex as well as they wouldn't wanna to ruin it. It is a very difficult imbalance but I'm sure you will know how to make it well.
ReplyDelete