Deep thoughts... don't come to me often but when they do I chew on them for quite awhile...
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
I was at a client's house today and the news came on the TV. By this time I was bored... so I pretended I wasn't watching it and just listened to it. They had a segment on Sexuality in young people. There is a study that has just come out to say that teens who pledge to stay virgins and those who are sexually active have the same percentage of sexually transmitted diseases... WOW.
What does this mean... well 80% of those who pledge to stay virgins only think of that as vaginal virginity... it is thought that there is a high price to loose vaginal virginity and anal sex or oral sex or (I'm sure you get the point) is not thought of as sex, instead sexual feeling/emotion. I'm sure you can figure out how they get the diseases! There is a large movement of teens doing something called a "virginity Pledge". This is all fine and dandy, however...
These Virginity Pledges are usually a one time scenario, with little to no education about sexuality before this time and what the pledge means for the rest of their teen years. Very concerning!
The news segment went on about all the ways teens are educated by peers, who don't mean to lead them astray, yet have no education themselves... so they all end up the blind leading the blind. The last minute was focused on how old children should be when parents, schools and churches start educating children. Grade three.
It totally shocks me because I want my babies to be innocent and fancy free for ever... however I want to be a responsible parent, aunt, friend, and so much more.
Your thoughts... how do you start on this road? I would love to hear your wisdom, knowledge and anything else helpful :)
What does this mean... well 80% of those who pledge to stay virgins only think of that as vaginal virginity... it is thought that there is a high price to loose vaginal virginity and anal sex or oral sex or (I'm sure you get the point) is not thought of as sex, instead sexual feeling/emotion. I'm sure you can figure out how they get the diseases! There is a large movement of teens doing something called a "virginity Pledge". This is all fine and dandy, however...
These Virginity Pledges are usually a one time scenario, with little to no education about sexuality before this time and what the pledge means for the rest of their teen years. Very concerning!
The news segment went on about all the ways teens are educated by peers, who don't mean to lead them astray, yet have no education themselves... so they all end up the blind leading the blind. The last minute was focused on how old children should be when parents, schools and churches start educating children. Grade three.
It totally shocks me because I want my babies to be innocent and fancy free for ever... however I want to be a responsible parent, aunt, friend, and so much more.
Your thoughts... how do you start on this road? I would love to hear your wisdom, knowledge and anything else helpful :)
Grade three huh? Well I tried to have "the" talk with my 3rd grader a few months ago and she pretty much cut me off after "sex is something mommy's and daddy's do..." She didn't want to know and for now I am going to respect her decision. I think you have to gauge your own child's level before you start talking. My 3rd grader is very mature for her age yet very uninterested in the grown up world. Fine by me. I will try having "the" talk again in a few months if I feel she is ready.
10:43 AMMy second grader on the other hand came home an announced she knew what gay and sex were. I said, "Really, you do?" "Yup." "What does it mean?" "I am not telling." So I assume someone was talking at school and it peaked her interest. I don't think she really knew what those words truly meant but she knew they could have a shock value if said at the right moment. I tried to have "the" talk with her too but she got too embarrassed. (and I really don't go into detail, I give them a kid version). I will try again with her in a few months too.
Mostly I think it is best if you feed them the information regularly, just like their flash cards. They do them regularly so they KNOW them. If you reinforce what you think and want from your kids they will come to accept it as their own beliefs. I do this with smoking and drugs too. Every chance I have I tell them how bad it is for them and how gross it is. Hopefully as they get older they will agree with me still.
There is my 2 cents. :)