Sex Education and Parents

  Just because many of us-we didn’t receive any healthy sex education from our parents do not mean that we should continue that same trend. Sex education has been handled ineptly in our family circle. A sexually developing kid has very feeble idea about sex education until he gets into the school. 

Frankly speaking, many parents have this complacent attitude that the sex education their kids receive from school is more than enough for the kids and consequently tend to shy from enacting their role towards communicating sex education to their kids. 

Despite knowing the fact that sex education is beyond the learning of  human sexual anatomy and its reproductive system, still we fail to propagate the psychological, social and emotional aspect to sex education. Apart from biological sense, Sex education needs to be taught through emotional corridor and that’s where parents can jump in!

How many of us, as parents- have we really thought about when and how to begin sex education to our kids?  As parents, are we not really concerned about our growing child-will it be prudent on our part to leave this role only to our teachers and to some NGOs?  

Yes, when it comes to sex education-it is a very delicate subject which we need to illustrate with greater sense of decency to our kids. An advisory role coupled with active collaboration with other stakeholders relevant to our child can be a turning point for the  kid’s sexual well being. 

Seriously, my friend the time has come-where we need to sit together face to face with our kids-ask whether their monthly periodic cycle has any effect on their daily school activities and talk about what he/she thinks about sexual harassment-probe her about why rape-about regulatory bodies pertaining to sex crimes. We also need to inform about stigmatization that goes in the community with teenage pregnancy, sexual transmitted diseases and Of course tell them that the rapist might be just next door or the person whom she thinks is her world. At least -lets us make them aware of sexual crimes and how to deal with such issues.

 Today our kids have access to multimedia and the probability to get hooked to various vulgar audio-visual elements is very high than ever before.  Despite of imparting media literacy-still we need to be vigilant and ensure that the video games that they play-magazines that they read-the songs that they listen to and the movies that that they watch need to be censored in such a way that they are not offended.   Let’s face it-many things around us has become sensuous-be it a simple TV ad or a MTV song. In the name art-the lyrics-the motion pictures are outrageously explicit in nature-parents need to be careful!  Face booking, we chatting through various social networks need be encouraged and channeled only through proper conversation about its implication and its relationship to their sexual growth.

 However, while doing this- Let us not give them an impression of intrusion, imposition and intimidation-let’s talk rather than lecturing about it to our kids-lets share our own experiences and lessons and relate to their own developing sexuality. 

Despite understanding the urgency and the existence of such scenario-if the parents  feel irked and put a face of denial about this issue-certainly It  would be the most piteous picture ever.

Yes there is nothing wrong when an iconic public figure advocates about it through a popular social media to our kids-yes there is nothing wrong when teachers and health workers do it-so why will it be wrong on the parents to advocate sex education to their own kids-now. 

Bottom line: Our parents may not have-but-we have to-sex education is our kids' rights.