A few weeks ago I read an article about 10 year old kids in Belgium on birth control. I was shocked! I’m not that old and not that conservative either but I remember when I was 10 I was still grossed out by boys. I didn’t even think of kissing until I was an older teenager. When I was 10 I still enjoyed playing with my toys and playing with boys and girls not even thinking of sex, honestly I don’t think I even knew what sex was then.
Today, we had a conversation at work about having the “sex talk” with kids. I was floored by the knowledge kids have these days. Graphic phrases and stuff I didn’t even learn about until I was in my twenties (which I still am by the way). I feel like I’m getting so old, or are the kids these days just growing up too fast?
Should we accept early maturity or should we take action and some kind of responsibility to teach children to enjoy their youth?
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I believe we should accept early maturity but at the same time parents are responsible for ensuring their children enjoy their youth. I believe communication is the root of the problem here. Parents need to establish an open line of communication with their children. I doubt that 10 year old child understood what she was doing, let alone the consequences of her action. I had sex education in 5th grade; it was part of the curriculum. I’m not sure when a parent should have the “sex talk” with their children ... the earlier the better. With all the pedophiles out there I would think parents would be having some sort of “sex talk” with their kids at an early age. Times have changed, children are growing up faster. It’s the responsibility of the parent to ensure their children don’t grow up too fast.