Sex education in schools-

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  uneventful

  12 years ago

  11 and 12 year olds .. when i was working in midwifery .... i think sex education should start as young as 5 by parents and be molded to suit the growing years ... By schools by year 4 ... so that would be around the age of 8 as a supliment to the parents ... but sometimes as the only education as some parents provide absolutely none.- Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  so the average age then is about 12.   But Im with uneventful........it starts at home and the sooner the better....amazing what kids can get their sweet little heads around at such a early age..........introduce the subject.....and answer every question honestly and openly   There truly is nothing sadder in life than seeing a young one pregnant ....and shes not even old enough to drink, drive, or vote... heartbreaking

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  My sex education from my dad was a box of condoms for my 14th birthday, 2 years too late mind you. There was never a discussion about sti's, pregnancy, nothing. The woman who later became my ex mother in law was a wealth of information, being a nurse, she'd seen it all and was upfront and was surprisingly relaxed about the whole topic.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  age, and mum came with me and explained some things..   Kids at that age have already seen daddy and mummy being "friendly" its something that also helps teach respect...   She did the same witth the other kids, so as far as I am concerned its a great idea...   Mike

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  When they start asking about where babies come from etc, keep the language age-appropriate but don't lie to them. I think it should also be discussed in schools from around age 9-10, just before most kids hit puberty.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  I have read somewhere that children whose parents are open about sex, sexuality, etc from a young age tend to wait longer before loosing their virginity and feel comfortable talking to their parents about any issues they may be having. - Posted from rhpmobile

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  it needs to start early,and it needs to start with parents being open to answer any and all questions and to lead by example. It's not just about the mechanics ,it is also about respecting others,and yourself.My daughter in her role as a year 8 co-ordinator at a local school last year, was dealing with situations where 12 and 13 year olds were engaging in group sex.Ignorance,peer pressure,low self esteem were all contributing factors. Children sending each other pics of their vaginas,and penises via their mobile phone is very common. It is so important to be accessible to your kids, so they can talk to you about anything .It's a fine line between being a helicopter parent, ie over protective and a parent who cares.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  And schools should start at first year 5yrs. It should start with biology and protective behaviour then go on to healthy relationships, sex and sexuality. High school is way too late and parents have varying levels of knowledge and ccomfort with the topic. Schools need to be proactive IMO.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  It should definitely be taught in schools as some parents don't or won't talk about it, and some kids may be too embarrassed to talk with them about it. I was one of the latter....my parents never brought it up and although I knew I could talk to them if I'd wanted to, I just could not bring myself to do it, not even with my mother. I still won't talk to her about sex, I can talk to her about almost anything else but just not that. In terms of when education should start, I think even in early Primary some of the very basic concepts can be covered, then becoming more specific and comprehensive as the years go on. When the extent that things have changed even since I was at school in terms of the internet, social media, and instant communication, it's almost inevitable that children are going to be exposed to sex at a younger age than ever before. I think we need to be proactive in teaching them, so that they already have an adequate amount of knowledge and awareness before they start being bombarded by sexual content from the internet and from their peers. The better informed they are of all the issues and potential risks, the less chance there is that they will engage in unsafe sexual behaviour and experimentation (and by 'unsafe' I mean potentially damaging both physically and emotionally).

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  I agree with most of what you say, however the "healthy relationship" bit put me off a little bit. Who has the right to say hey kids, this way is right- live your life our way? What works for one couple may not work for another. AND sex ed should include some elements of same sex relationships, it tears my heart out hearing that a kid in their early teens tries to or actually does commit suicide because they feel so isolated by their sexuality.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  Healthy relationships includes stuff like respecting yourself and thinking about what you want in a relationship and how you want to be treated. Most importantly how you treat others. It explores stereotypes and challenges assumptions. It's not this is what a relationship looks like. Sexuality education is talking about the huge variety and spectrum of sexuality and normalizing difference, seeing that everyone is different. This should start when we talk biology too, looking at different family structures and ways that babies are made. Not every child is conceived because mummy and daddy loved each other very much... Ivf, sperm donors, surrogacy... Lots of same sex couples with kids in my area. The Victorian department of Education has a great sex Ed program, I think you can access it from their website.

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  RHP User

  12 years ago

  having 3 kids myself from Infants through to High school, I can say that it gets pretty well covered in school these days. It starts with the whole 'this is my body nobody else can touch it' theme against sexual abuse to the old 'where did i come from' sessions which start around yr4/5. There is an excellent programme where an Educator comes to school at night so parents come along too, and she talks about everything from conception to puberty, to pimples to love and everything in between, but uses comedy to help lighten the subject, and encourages kids to ask mum/dad a question or 2. We've been to a few of these sessions over the years, and have always walked away feeling happy with the way it was approached, and the language used etc.It then opens the line of communication to further discussions at home if needed. Thanks to all the 'charming' shows on Fox etc these days, kids are more clued up than we know!!!

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