>Many parents may be appalled by the “condom field trip”
As a parent of two 14 year olds, I can tell you that the best approach to teaching them about sexuality is direct and honest discussion that begins at home, and is reinforced by their sex ed program at school.
It may not be comfortable for some, but it may mean everything in terms of fostering positive attitudes about their sexuality and self-esteem.
We are living at a time when teenagers are more mature and are becoming sexually active at a much earlier age. It’s a little late to try to determine where to place the blame and I seriously doubt that preaching abstinence is going to be very effective. Humans are sexual beings.
We talk about safe sex practices with our kids as often as they will listen. As parents, I can tell you it makes us cringe to think that at 14 years old they may be sexually active. Still, we have accept that this indeed may be a reality, if not now, at some point in the not so distant future. We can’t pretend otherwise simply because it makes us more comfortable.
To be blunt, kids have a low tolerance for bullshit. They don’t want to be confused by a lot of half truths or sugar coated explanations and quite frankly, that’s not going to help them to make intelligent decisions for themselves.
Many parents may be appalled by the “condom field trip”. It’s too graphic, too explicit, etc. But if your kids learned anything that might keep them healthy and safe, in the long run, being appalled may be a small price and you might be thankful for lessons learned.
