Parents, Children & Sex Education

In a country like India, “SEX DISCUSSIONS” have always been a social taboo. Such an attitude of the Indian society has definitely put our country’s youth in an unsafe situation. Do you know why? Well, because we are exposed and more importantly attracted to the western culture but are not educated enough to understand the consequences of such a culture. This unhinge between adoption & education of western trends has given rise to a multitude of problems such as teen pregnancies, suicides due to failed relationships, STD’s amongst teenagers, rash rape rates and many many more. So, if we want to curb the rate at which these social evils are taking place, it is essential to take the first step inside our houses by educating teenagers about sex and related topics.

I know it is difficult for parents to initiate discussions about sex with kids but it has to be done. Think of the problems your kid might suffer from if he/she indulges into something like this and end up doing things, which should not be done. Definitely, you cannot blame your children completely as you did not educate them about sex like you taught them about values of honesty, truth, respect and love. Gather some courage and take this difficult step of enlightening your kids about sex. It is the need of the hour!

Teenagers are spontaneous and so are their questions. It is very difficult to predict what question they throw at you next. But, you can handle their questions with love, intelligence, understanding and patience. Keep a note of the following points while going to educate your children about sex as it might help in making the task easier.

• Stay Comfortable & Make Them Feel Comfortable Too.

Talking to your kids about sex and relationships can be little embarrassing in the beginning. But, you do not have to reveal your embarrassment in front of them. Try to keep yourself calm and let your kid open up. You can always initiate the conversation by telling children about your girlfriend or some instance so that they can share similar ones with you (My dad used to tell me about his girlfriend and I always felt amused listening to their stories).

• Keep it Short but Informative

It might be difficult for you to discuss sex related issues at a stretch with your kids. However, giving them the complete information is of utmost importance because loose ends in such issues may lead to undesirable consequences. Try to make your discussions short but informative so that the purpose of sex education is solved completely.

• Don’t Command. Make them understand.

During teenage years, almost everyone gets attracted towards opposite sex and gets physically intimate. If you stop your kids from doing so, they are never going to listen or open up. Rather, make them understand about the shady side of getting involved in such activities at an early stage so that they can differentiate between right and wrong. Try and help them inform well so that they understand what’s off-limits.

And now before I wrap up this post, let me quickly write down some reasons that might persuade parents to give sex education to children.

• Strengthens the relationship between parents and children.
• Keeps parents aware of their children exact whereabouts and not assumed ones.
• Educates children about their body and biological processes.
• Prevents children from being indulged into unsafe sex at an early stage.

Please share your take on the topic.