“Mommy, where do babies come from?”
I think if Ladybug had to ask me that right now I would die, like literally fall over and die on the spot. But I know the question is coming, and it will be coming sooner than I think. She has already asked if she can have a brother and I managed to dodge too many questions when I told her that she already had a brother in Changkla (her bestie), but one day that wont be enough for her.
How do I handle the question when Ladybug asks? Do I feed her the white lie of the stork dropping a baby off or do I hit her with the truth and explain how boys and girls are different and go into the birds and bees talk? These things do cross my mind now, even though Ladybug is a toddler because lets face it society has changed, sex is everywhere. Sex sells. KIDS are becoming sexually active younger and younger.
It is no longer a criminal offence for children aged between 12 and 16 to engage in consensual sexual activities with each other. *pause a moment to let that sink in* 12…. 12… that’s not even a teenager yet. They can have consensual sex (as long as the person they are having sex with is not older than 16) but legally they can have sex. Personally, I would kill Ladybug 12 year old and her under 16 year old partner. At 12 kids aren’t even finished Primary School.
So when do you start “the talk”? With the above tidbit of information I think the sooner the better. Hells bells if they going to be legally sexually active from 12 then they should know all the fact LONG before that, but the tricky part comes in keeping it age appropriate. Having a game plan allows you to think carefully about the key points want your child to remember. This is most definitely not a once off, its a talk that is going to repeat itself again and again as they grow older and their questions become more detailed.
Durex are launching CONNECT-ED Buddy Programme – which part of Durex’s CONNECT-ED programme, a high school CSI (Corporate Social Investment) initiative, run in association with the Gauteng Department of Education.The CONNECT-ED Buddy is a sexual health counsellor available online and provides anonymity and confidentiality and answer all your questions.
Durex are looking for parents input, they want to know what questions you have or your children have about sex. Your questions, and advice from CONNECT-ED Buddy could be published or talked about in newspapers and radio. So, it doesn’t matter if you think your child is too young or that your questions are quite specific to your situation, they just want to able to get expert answers and advice to all your questions and concerns on this important matter. The aim here is to empower not only you but your children with the relevant information for now and the future.
So to lets get involved.
I want to know, what worries you the most when it comes to your child’s sexual education? What would your top questions be in regards to:
• Talking to your children about sex;
• Questions you are scared to ask your children when it comes to sex;
• The details of their sexual activities; and
• Communicating your concerns around sex, etc.
Send me your thoughts and questions via the comments section below – or you can mail them to me here so I can forward them on. Durex will have CONNECT-ED Buddy answer all your questions.
You have until the 7th of September to send me your thoughts and questions. If you send me your comments and questions you could will win a ‘Birds and the bees toolkit’ worth R 1000 and they might just throw in some sexy goodies for the parents to enjoy too.
In partnership with 
Life with a Ladybug 