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At What Age Should Sex Education Start?

Diederick

Diederick

Active Member
Simple: a good few years before the age of consent. For example, if the age of consent in a country is 16, sex ed - I'd think - should start around 10 or 12. Demographics are important too, kids are having sex earlier and earlier, so such should be taken into account as well. Of course the extremes can be disregarded, but if a large enough portion of the population has had sex before their 12th, perhaps 10 would be a better age to start sex education.

Actually, if the age of consent doesn't reflect the average age on which people start having sexual relationships, perhaps it then needs looking into.

Concerning sex education, I think it is important to not just go over the STD's and risks of sex, but also give examples of healthy (romantic) relationships, say something about sexual diversity, gender roles and identity and don't forget about abuse in relationships and prostitution. Not all in one afternoon of course, but that is evident for anyone in possession of the most basic didactic skills.
 
beenie

beenie

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Mestemia said:
I do not know how Christine did it, but I kept the answers short, to the point, on a level they understood, and nothing but the truth.
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Exactly. Especially at a young age, there is no reason to go into too much detail. They'll get all glazed eyed anyway.
 
bobhikes

bobhikes

Nondetermined
Premium Member
Sunstone said:
At what age should you begin to educate your children about their sexuality?

I'm for starting young -- say, about Kindergarten. My first wife was taught about sex at that age by her father and mother, who were both medical doctors. It seems to have left her with no ill effects. Moreover, she was always comfortable discussing sex with her parents, and she did not feel she had to hide anything from them.
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You know, that child is a girl and that one is a boy. Mommy's are different than Daddy's. As they grow and want to know more I tell them more. If they don't ask all the questions I'm going to sit my boys down at 12 before puberty and go over it all with them and add some of my knowledge on dealing with the opposite sex.
 
Levite

Levite

Higher and Higher
Kathryn said:
When should sex education begin?

At birth.

From infancy on, children should be allowed and encouraged to accept and love and respect their own space and their own bodies. They should be taught to respect others' space and bodies. They should be allowed privacy, but not so they can HIDE things - if they are encouraged by positive responses to be very honest and open, they will be, sometimes TOO much so (but more is better than less).

Their curiosity should be encouraged, but balanced with respect for others, and the concept that certain things about themselves, others, and their bodies are precious and private.

I believe they should be taught that sexuality is best in the context of deep and committed love between two people.

I believe that this lays the groundwork for open dialogue about sexuality when their open and honest questions are asked. I believe we should give them direct answers, and in the younger ages - under 10 - unless there is some unusual circumstance, those answers should be short, to the point, and not overloaded with scientific detail.

I believe they should be encouraged to participate in sex ed classes at school. However, as a parent, I would like to see the curriculum first. If I didn't agree with the curriculum, I would still allow them to attend the class, but I would clarify where I disagreed with the class, and why.

I believe sex education in school should begin in about the fifth grade.

Just my personal opinions as the mother of five grown kids who seem to have a healthy perspective on sex and love and relationships.
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^^^This!!!
 
YmirGF

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Kathryn said:
When should sex education begin?

At birth.

From infancy on, children should be allowed and encouraged to accept and love and respect their own space and their own bodies. They should be taught to respect others' space and bodies. They should be allowed privacy, but not so they can HIDE things - if they are encouraged by positive responses to be very honest and open, they will be, sometimes TOO much so (but more is better than less).

Their curiosity should be encouraged, but balanced with respect for others, and the concept that certain things about themselves, others, and their bodies are precious and private.

I believe they should be taught that sexuality is best in the context of deep and committed love between two people.

I believe that this lays the groundwork for open dialogue about sexuality when their open and honest questions are asked. I believe we should give them direct answers, and in the younger ages - under 10 - unless there is some unusual circumstance, those answers should be short, to the point, and not overloaded with scientific detail.

I believe they should be encouraged to participate in sex ed classes at school. However, as a parent, I would like to see the curriculum first. If I didn't agree with the curriculum, I would still allow them to attend the class, but I would clarify where I disagreed with the class, and why.

I believe sex education in school should begin in about the fifth grade.

Just my personal opinions as the mother of five grown kids who seem to have a healthy perspective on sex and love and relationships.
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Perfect.
 
beenie

beenie

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Kathryn said:
When should sex education begin?

At birth.

From infancy on, children should be allowed and encouraged to accept and love and respect their own space and their own bodies. They should be taught to respect others' space and bodies. They should be allowed privacy, but not so they can HIDE things - if they are encouraged by positive responses to be very honest and open, they will be, sometimes TOO much so (but more is better than less).

Their curiosity should be encouraged, but balanced with respect for others, and the concept that certain things about themselves, others, and their bodies are precious and private.

I believe they should be taught that sexuality is best in the context of deep and committed love between two people.

I believe that this lays the groundwork for open dialogue about sexuality when their open and honest questions are asked. I believe we should give them direct answers, and in the younger ages - under 10 - unless there is some unusual circumstance, those answers should be short, to the point, and not overloaded with scientific detail.

I believe they should be encouraged to participate in sex ed classes at school. However, as a parent, I would like to see the curriculum first. If I didn't agree with the curriculum, I would still allow them to attend the class, but I would clarify where I disagreed with the class, and why.

I believe sex education in school should begin in about the fifth grade.

Just my personal opinions as the mother of five grown kids who seem to have a healthy perspective on sex and love and relationships.
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I missed this post. Agree 100% :D
 
Huni999

Huni999

1 who doesnt know believe
When a woman starts her menstrual cycle, she is ready to have children. It should start around this time, 13 or so.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
It depends on what age group the child is in. Young children should be taught about their bodies, that there are differences between boys and girls, and touching themselves. Children caught exploring there own body, or even examining the body of a playmate, should not be scolded or be made to feel ashamed. Even infants will touch themselves because it feels good, and a young child should be taught that it is something to be done in privacy. Playing doctor simply needs nothing more than an explanation that you realize your child was just curious, but our society has deemed that it is inappropriate for people to be nude in front of others, and for others to look at them. Also a very egg and sperm explanation of how a baby is made is good. The story of a sperm's journey inside and union with the egg can even give honest answers to the inevitable bombardment of questions, and there is no chance of being put on the spot with a question you'll have to make the answer up to on the spot had you given your child a fairly tale of how babies are made.
Before a child enters puberty, the process should be explained. But what is more important than an explanation is that a parent be their for there child. We all know how hard puberty can be, and we should do our part to make sure it isn't harder than it has to be. By this point it's also very likely too late to explain to your child that typically boys will take an interest in girls and girls will take an interest in boys, and it may also be too late to explain sex to them. Many parents fail to realize their kids learn stuff from other kids at school, and it's just not bad words. At my school a few kids were talking about sex during the third grade, a few more in the fourth, and every body knew about it by fifth grade.
So to those who think it can wait until puberty, would you rather tell your kids about it or other kids their age? Granted that young they don't need a detailed explanation, but there is no point in hiding the facts if they ask you a question because they probably did hear something at school, or any club, event, friends house, or where ever. Puberty would be the time to explain in further detail, and including infections, contraception, pregnancy, and social pressures and self-readiness. Masturbation is also a good subject of discussion, although boys by this time have typically already discovered how to masturbate and probably won't need many details. Not that girls aren't as curious or aware, it's that the penis is easier to find and much easier to figure out how to operate.
 
McBell

McBell

mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
Huni999 said:
When a woman starts her menstrual cycle, she is ready to have children. It should start around this time, 13 or so.
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um...
My eldest daughter started her menstrual cycle at age 11 and my youngest daughter started hers at age 9.
 
beenie

beenie

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Mestemia said:
um...
My eldest daughter started her menstrual cycle at age 11 and my youngest daughter started hers at age 9.
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I'm sorry. :sad4: :(

I'm hoping my six daughters go more by my pattern and get to at least 13. :D
 
BeckyRose1998

BeckyRose1998

PICKLES THE KID
Well, my mom told me about it when I was around 11 and I had a SexEd class at school at the end of 6th grade. I think 11 or 12, but I kinda agree with Sunstone with teaching it in Kindergarten because they're going to ask where babies come from. So around 5 to around 11 years old.
 
BeckyRose1998

BeckyRose1998

PICKLES THE KID
Mestemia said:
um...
My eldest daughter started her menstrual cycle at age 11 and my youngest daughter started hers at age 9.
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You're daughters aren't alone in that, Mestemia. I started my menstrual cycle when I was 11, and it was at school. :faint: It's perfectly fine, it's just genes.
 
chinu

chinu

chinu
Sunstone said:
At What Age Should Sex Education Start?
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We ourself don't know, compleatly what is sex and what is the purpose..lol, and we are talking about when to give this incompleate education to our childerns.

Sounds like.. fishes in the sea are deciding at which age should we start teaching our childerns -- how to steel food from the nets thrown in the sea by the fisherman's. ;)

I think firstly it is very necessary to know what is the reasonable importance of sex in human life. Otherwise we humans are no more than other animals on this earth.. and if we are no more than animals on this earth, than what is the importance of any education in our life.
 
Shadow Wolf

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I'd say 12 is about the right age to start the with the basics.
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By 12, the chances are very high a child's peers have already explained the basics to them.
I'll ask it again: would you rather explain to your child at an early age, or have kids at school tell them about all the misinformation about sex that is passed off as truth? And if you think private schooling or homeschooling is the answer, that won't protect your kids either.
 
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