Today I’m going into town to talk to some college students about sex. I’m no expert (at least no more than anyone else), but, in this case, Willingness to Talk equals Expert.
I actually enjoy speaking on the subject. Sex education is so much more than just sex: it’s about relationships, self-awareness, compassion, biology, ethics, beauty, drive and passion, love, and the meaning of life in general. It doesn’t get much more fun than this!
Actually, I’m not supposed to talk about sex sex, but about sex education from a homeschooler’s perspective. Which pretty much means, I think, how parents teach their children about sex. Because all parents teach their children about sex, whether or not they are intentional about it.
That not a new idea, right?
Right?
In preparation for the class, I assembled a few of my most favorite books, including a new one that I pulled off the library shelf a couple weeks ago. While I tapped away at the computer, my younger son curled up beside me and started flipping through the pages. He found the naked cartoon characters most entertaining.
And then when he got up to leave the room, he spied two flies in a love tangle and said, “Ha, two flies on top of each other! They’re fighting!”
“Honey, they’re not fighting. They’re mating.”
His ignorance about our prolific fly population’s mating habits kinda surprised me. Animals and insects are forever humping and bumping right under our noses (think that one rooster and a couple dozen hens we used to have, there is no shame)—I thought it’d be a given for him. But it’s not. It takes a while for kids to pick up the information. Bit and pieces fall into place in different ways and at different times.
In fact, yesterday afternoon when I was actually reading the aforementioned library book to one very interested little boy, he told me that he thought mating had something to do with dying (because of the fly battles?). Which proves my point: you never know what kids are thinking. It is for this very reason parents must give the information straight-up. When it comes to talking about sex, there is no place for beating around the bush. My mantra: say it straight and say it again. And again and again and again.
So anyway, back to this class. In preparation for the discussion, I sent the prof some material to send out to the students ahead of time: this link to my sex talk post, as well as a speech I gave to some high school students a few years back. (Warning: it’s longish. Put your feet up.) I’m eager to hear what these university students think about these issues. Is what I think relevant? Do they know all this stuff already?
How do you feel about children and sex education?
This same time, years previous: no buffer, over the moon, the walk home, roasted vegetables, big businesses read little blogs, nutty therapy, and caramelized onions
