In response to “Sex education” (3/20), the problem with your philosophies in waiting until children are “emotionally ready” for sex education is not the fact that it is your right to decide when to tell them about sex. The problem is there is no way you can force “the community” not to tell them. People will talk, and much of that talk will be inappropriate for any child. The important thing is that they get it from the right sources.
When I was younger my parents pulled me out of school to have sexual education talks during the normal class time when we had them in school. Those talks were awkward at best and totally uninformative. Honestly, everything I discovered about sex education was taught to me by peers, whether directly or overheard, on the playground, at lunch or on the bus.
People will not wait to teach your children about sex education, so wouldn’t you prefer to have an educator do it than foul-mouthed peers?
Furthermore, your assertion that children need to be “emotionally ready” for sexual education is evidence that the topic is still somewhat taboo in your mind. Children should discover it naturally and safely, in the home, and early. Not with ridiculous stories about birds and bees or storks. Honesty and a real answer is better, that way when they learn about sex at school (whether from peers or teachers), their view will be shaped on what they learned first.
Ryan Craig
Wichita, KS
