Parents, Children and Sex Education

One of the rare conversations you would see parents have with their children, or never even have, is that of sex education. Perhaps, this is a huge generalisation. So let me drop it to specifically my part of the world. Yes, you rarely or don't even find such conversations existing. Maybe it's due to a cultural thing and what has been the practice in this regard. Or it's because discussions around the subject of sex sound awkward and uncomfortable.

As a result, this isn't deemed as a conversation to even have with a child. Will I blame them for such? I don't think so. People were raised in different times where different things had different values and impact. Sex was considered more sacred in older times than now where it's more or less a transaction. But then, as times have changed, what do we do? Do we still maintain that practice and turn our faces away from this conversation?

It won't be bad or wrong to have the sex education conversation with one's children. Well, a child of reasonable and understanding age. It's important because the world we have today will teach a child everything, even about the subject of sex that was hidden from them. It's usually sad and problematic when children find out things from the wrong places. What they do learn is the wrong or distorted knowledge, which causes them more harm than good.

It's not a guarantee that a child enlightened on the subject of sex is guaranteed to use the knowledge wisely and go the right way about it, but it does help in many cases when they learn the right thing and the right way. At a reasonable age of understanding and awareness, where the child is capable of doing some level of things, this knowledge should be given to them. Nevertheless, the method of delivery also matters as well as the information.

This is where I believe the older generations have avoided this conversation. It's considered that such enlightenment ignites something in the child, be it a sense or curiosity leading to promiscuity or more. The delivery matters and the knowledge delivered also matters. These must be taken note of. As such, it's an easier than said thing. There could be awkwardness and all, but the benefits of letting them know early help in several ways.

It helps them open up to parents on concerns regarding sex as pertaining to them. Hence, they feel free to have this conversation and they find the necessary advice, precaution and awareness. It doesn't feel weird as it's not a new thing. This is where the older generations have missed it. Children are not comfortable bringing up such conversations for fear of the response, how uncomfortable it is or how it might be perceived.

This is also helpful and important as it equips the child with knowledge to protect themself from some sexual advancements and approaches towards them. Believe it or not, some sexual predators had an easy way with luring and molesting some children because of their lack of knowledge in this regard. Knowing some, even if not all will help a child to know when things are wrong and to seek help and protect themself when necessary, even as they grow up.

Image is AI generated.

Thank you for reading!