The birds and the bees

[Kjata]

So, dealing with sex is (supposedly) a difficult part of raising a child. You don't want your daughter to get knocked up, and you don't want your son to be spreading baby batter all over the place. However, it seems to me people have an unrealistic idea about how to discuss this with their kids. They don't think young children can handle this.

I had "the talk" when I was roughly six. So, for basically as long as i can remember, I knew how everything worked. So when i was hitting puberty, i wasn't trying to figure this out. I knew how to make a baby, and how irresponsible it was.

It seems weird to me that people are so uncomfortable telling their kids. It's not like they can't handle it, and if you sit down and tell them they won't have misguided perceptions when they get older due to media.

For instance, I saw the Naked Gun when I was 7 or 8. Even at that age, i understood that the whole "full body condom" was... outrageous. I understood the joke at a very young age.

So yeah, what are your thoughts? When did you get the talk?

[Asta Kask]

10, I think. I read my brothers' biology books.

[Ricky S]

The talk? What's the talk? You mean babies dont get delivered by storks?

Seriously though I never got the talk. I learnt about it in school and that was plenty. In grade 6 I was shown a video of horses having sex and that pretty much explained it.

[truemane]

No matter how logical it is for you to 'have the talk' it's incredibly awkward to actually sit down and do it. But, speaking as a parent, it's necessary. Especially in the Age of the Internet, whatever you don't tell them, they'll fill in all on their own.

But kids can certainly handle it. Had the talk with my older boy when he was eight. The younger one (ten now) hasn't brought it up yet. Soon as he does, I'll swallow back the awakward and answer his question as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

Only way to go.

[thubby]

i never really had "the talk" in a traditonal sense.

i had a question occasionally, and i'd ask my mom about it. she'd answer, and we went on with life. so i had an ever increasing knowledge of the subject as i grew.
until one fateful august night at least