When Is The Right Time For Sex Education?

[ToraToraTora]

A pal of mine has just told me his son has been given sex education at the age of 9. Now he's using what he's learnt to ask embarrasing questions to all and sundry and is in all sorts of trouble in school and with relatives generally and cannot understand why. I remember sex education at the age of approx 13-14. Surely 9 is far too young to get a proper grasp of this difficult subject so why are primary school childreen being burdened so young?

[MadMen]

My daughter, aged 5, asked me how Mums get babies in their tummy.
I told her they have a big special hug, with someone they love, and then they have a baby in their tummy.

[Octavius]

joeluke, I'm surprised at that.

I didn't learn what a clitoris was until I was 38, and even then I could never find one.

[joeluke]

Madmen......tried to believe me but also didn't want the potential of my son being picked on at school because of me

[Mamyalynne]

Octavius, it will be in that drawer with all the other lost stuff.

[MadMen]

Yeah, I get where you're coming from. It's a tough one and I would be the same in not wanting to give my consent.

[ummmm]

Why is it such a secretive subject?

[joeluke]

Octavius......he brought diagrams of naked male and female home at the end of term, pupils had to name body parts and draw arrows to their locations on the diagrams......and yes clitoris was on there

At least he knew where it was I guess.......that's my boy!

[Mamyalynne]

Demystifying the topic makes it far less of an adventure to experiment and second guess about.

[albaqwerty]

exactly Ummm, and death is secretive too.

[ToraToraTora]

Keyplus: "after you are married" - so 9 then!

[ummmm]

JoeLuke - it's a body part. Why would you not want your child to know each body part?

[ladybirder]

With children having babies at 12 it can't come soon enough for me.

[MadMen]

"Keyplus: "after you are married" - so 9 then! "

Oh dear.

My parents never had 'the big talk' with me, and it didn't make me want to go out and be 'adventurous'. I learnt about SE in secondary school and at that age was mature enough to understand it and take it on board properly. I really do think nine (and 7!!) is way too young for all the facts.

[jd_1984]

Apart from the having to play about with it for what seems like hours.....
Does a clitoris have a physical use, why is it there?

[MadMen]

"With children having babies at 12 it can't come soon enough for me. "

If a child had a baby at 12 then the parents have done something very, very wrong. That's nothing to do with SE.

[ummmm]

People seem to react like they are being taught how to do cunnilingus ( or the male equivalent)

They aren't. They are being taught the difference between boys and girls.

[cupid04]

So do I, madmen they need to be children and have fun.We grow up fast enough as it is.

[Mamyalynne]

I have never quite understood the stance that learning how our bodies work and differ and how humankind progresses is stealing a childhood.

[MadMen]

Absolutely! I would think, at 7 and 9, the only thing a child would need to know regarding boys and girls being different is that one has a willy and stands up to go to the toilet, and the other has a va-jay-jay and sits down.

That's it. Why the need for specific parts that are sexual?

[Mamyalynne]

You don't stop having fun or playing board games with your pals when you discover how the body functions, do you ?? I never did.