Sex Education.

[MrIncredible]

At what age do you think Sex/relationship Education should be taught in schools?

I heard on the radio this morning that Children as young as 7 are being taught and are even being shown a cartoon of two adults "making babies"!

Imo I think its is to young, My 6 yr old has asked about babies and I have answered them as honestly as i can without going into graphic detail!

In my day we were taught about the reproduction of stick insects and that was it! never did me any harm ;0)

[cazzz1975]

probably at secondary age in my opinion

[China Doll]

I think 7 is about right to give the basics and proceed with the nitty gritty stuff as they get older. I also know that sometimes the teaching of basic sex education has unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it actually) led to young children disclosing about things that have happened at home that are 'inappropriate' to say the least. I'm all for it.

[mccfluff]

i remember being taught in primary school, think i would of been about 8 or 9

[craft1948]

Fond memories of doing reproduction in rabbits when I was 12................now all that's left is the rabbit!

[China Doll]

'doing reproduction in rabbits'

^^^ I'm sorry but I now have bad mental pictures involving ummm's ginger bunnies... I need help!

[cazzz1975]

they teach sex education at year 6, probably a more updated version than at age 7, that seems okay to me.

[mccfluff]

*brain bleach needed*

[B00]

Ok, im going to go against everyone else, and say I don't believe it should be taught at school at all.

This new enlightened age we're supposed to be living in has hardly dented teenage pregnancy, experimentation and STD's, so why bother? Teach them things that a school should do, the three R's and so on, and leave the sex education to the parents, which after all should be a child's primary teacher.

Don't expect anyone to agree with me, but there ya go :-)

[daffy654]

First year of secondary school is early enough in my opinion.

[LoftyLottie]

I agree with you BOO. But unfortunately many parents these days just don't bother and don't care anyway. But I don't see why any child of mine has to be given sex education because other parents shirk their responsibilities. At the very earliest it should begin in secondary school in my opinion.

[craft1948]

I gave the daughter "the talk" when she was 11 using drawings, proper words, and slang words. The school taught her a year later.............she said I was much better.

[daffy654]

There are plenty of books out there for children that explain the process if the parents are too stupid or embarrassed to teach their own kids.

[sophie_1003]

I agree with Boo but unfortunately not all parents will educate their children about sex so some lessons at school are probably wise. As for age I think as soon as a child asks where babies come from is a sensible age to begin telling them; I was 5 when I asked and remember being given a book that explained sex as 'a man and a lady do a special cuddle' If the child is satisifed by that then that's enough; if they keep asking more questions I don't see the harm in answering them honestly. Far better to make sex something which can be openly taked about than something which is seen as dirty and should be kept a secret.

[LoftyLottie]

I don't ever remember being sat down and given a talk. What I do remember is that my mother answered questions when I asked and gave me the correct information at the stage I was at. I was always happy to talk to my mum about anything because that is the way I was brought up.

If something bothered me then I asked her. She was never shy about telling me things.

[B00]

I'm not sure whether parents shirking their responsibility in this regard is really the problem though Lottie, after all a few decades ago kids weren't given sex ed by schools or their parents, but we didn't seem to have the problems we now have with kids having kids.

But yes, ive accepted that kids are taught at school, so when the times here for Mini Boo to be taught it, i'll grit my teeth and accept, but please, not before high school, she's still a baby.

[rowanwitch]

My mothers version of sex ed was to leave her Harold Robbins novels for me to read plus a few other s....I grew up with some rather odd ideas and a very open mind