It is a rainy Thursday afternoon. A mother sits in an overstuffed chair as she watches the raindrops dance on the windowpane. She sees the large, yellow school bus make a stop at the street corner and watches as the students exit the bus. Finally, a tall redheaded girl with bouncing curls and a beautiful smile steps out of the bus an onto the slippery, wet sidewalk. The mother is nervous with anticipation as her daughter, Cecilia runs toward the front door to escape the rain. Cecilia bursts through the door, relieved to be indoors where the rain cannot touch her.
"Sit down, Cecilia." the mother says. "I think it's time we have a discussion......."
I don't remember ever having "the talk" with my parents. Once I reached a certain age I think they just assumed I knew what sex was and that was that. Looking back, my parents were irresponsible for never having "the talk" with me. The first time I learned about STDs and STIs was in health class my freshman year of high school.
In my opinion "the talk" should include
1. Talking about contraceptives. Parents or guardians should address the different types of contraceptives. Condoms should be discussed because they protect against STDs and STIs. Parents should maybe even show their kids how to use a condom.
2. Talking about STDs, STIs and HIV. It is important for kids to understand the dangers of STDs and STIs. Parents should give specific examples of STDs and discuss how to prevent them.
3. Talking about respect and sex. Parents should stress the importance of being respectful to oneself and one's partner. I think parents should make sure that their child know that the choice to have sex is only theirs and they should never have sex if the feel pressured, unsure or uncomfortable. Parents should also stress the importance of being respectful to one's partner when it comes to sex.
I know that talking about sex can be uncomfortable for both the parent and the child but it is one of the most important conversations a parent and child can have.
It definitely is very important for both the kids and the parents. For the kids to be armed with such knowledge is invaluable and for parents to know their children can make educated decisions is reassuring. As a parent of a 16 year old girl who I have had plenty of talks with, you do remind me I need to bring out the condom and banana!!
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your 3 points. My mother has been very open with me about female genitals before I even started grade school. However, my parents never talked to me about condoms and contraceptives. I guess my parents didn’t want to partake in anything that would influence me to have sex. I feel as if I learned about sex through school, friends, and television. Like you mentioned, a sex talk may be a bit awkward, but I would have liked learning the information from my parents than elsewhere. Therefore, I feel that it is important for parents to give their children the “full scoop” instead of letting them find out through other sources that could give inaccurate information. What better way to learn about sex than through the child’s own parents. Having an open conversation about having sex and everything that falls under the topic could create better communication both between the child and the parents about other topics as well.
Hi Margaret
ReplyDeleteI never had the talk with my mom or dad and wish that I had. I agree with your 3 points and feel that it is a responsibility of the parents to have this talk. It might be uncomfertable for both sides but it has so much to do with in our society and can clear some of the mystery that is part of being a teenager and young adult.