The Sex Talk: How Early Is Too Early?

I don’t know about others but I grew up in a typical African home. In our house, I had never heard anyone talk about sex since I was born till date. And you know how parents change the tv Chanel when everyone is watching a show and it gets to the kissing scene, I’d like to believe my parents still do that. I can literally bet on it because it’s very hard for the African in us to leave when it comes to some things.

Long story short, I was raised in a home where we could talk about anything but someway somehow, I never had the sex talk and neither did any of my sibling. We had the guidance when we had our first periods, and every other issue that came up with regards to our lives. I guess my parents didn’t and still don’t think it’s time to have that talk yet. The good thing was that, in the time and age we find ourselves in today, we learn a lot through education.

Back in high school, sex education was a normal thing in school just smile personal hygiene and the others. It was a part of our curriculum and even our teachers advised us on these things in the middle of other discussions. Honestly, I wish my parents had that talk with me but I don’t think it did any harm to me. At my age, and thanks to technology, I have had the chance to read wide and educate myself very well on this topic.

I understand that parenting can be hard sometimes, it’s everyone’s first time living and there’s really no manual to being a parent. However, one thing we need to understand is that times are changing. What we don’t talk to our children about, they will learn it from outside be it from the internet, from friends and people around them. And you might not like how things will turn up. Kids of today are a lot more curious than most of us were when we were kids. Whatever they see, they want to test and that is why having the sex talk with them is very important.

It is one of my wishes in life to be a mother. And as a mother, I plan to have the sex talk with my kids once they are old enough to understand these things. This is to make sure they understand these things very well so that they won’t be influenced by others to make bad decisions and also create a safe space solace for them with me. The rest is really up to them because as they age they will have to start making some decisions on their own and I want to make sure they make the right choices at all times.

Talking about sex now isn’t as it used to be then. It’s no more seen as a taboo. And I’m really glad and happy that everyone is keeping an open mind now.

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images belong to me.

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