Discussing about bees and birds is a common practice among parents with teenagers. Others simply leave it up to the school to educate their kids about human sexuality. In reality, a recent survey found that 6 in 10 parents said they were brought up to believe sex was “taboo.”
Almost 60% of respondents had talked to children about human reproduction
In a OnePoll study, 2,000 parents of children aged five to 18 were asked to reflect on their personal attitudes toward sex as well as how they have discussed it with their children. Around 58% of respondents said they’ve already talked to their kids about sexuality, and 21% say they’ll do it soon. However, the same proportion (21%) do not intend to discuss “sex talk” at all.
Unexpectedly, 57% of parents with children aged 5 to 9 years and 58% of parents with children aged 10 to 13 have discussed “birds and bees” with their children. Even 50% of parents of kids under the age of four had those exchanges with their kids (51% ). Surprisingly, men are more inclined than women to talk about sex with their children (61% vs. 56%).
Around 37% of those who haven’t discussed sex with their children claim their child’s early age as the primary deterrent, making up the remaining 42%. One in three parents claimed their children are receiving sex education in the classroom, while one in four claimed that the other spouse is making an effort.
25% of parents feel unconformable discussing sex with children
One in four parents admits they might feel uncomfortable discussing sex with their kids (26 percent ). Despite their opinions, seven out of ten people agree that children should have the “birds and the bees” conversation early on because of how frequently children are exposed to comparable subjects on social networks and in other aspects of daily life.
In order to educate their kids about sex, Dr. Sara C. Flowers, Planned Parenthood Federation of America V.P. for Education and Training, advises parents or other adults to have continuing discussions instead of one “chat.”
