Talk the talk
David Beckham, he of the renowned golden balls, reportedly found the act of informing his eldest son Brooklyn about sex education a tad too embarrassing. According to media reports, Beckham sat down with his son to have the talk and mid-way through it, felt too awkward to continue and just walked out of the room.
Sexologists say that it’s necessary for a child’s emotional development that he/she learn about this issue from his/her parents directly. Dr Neelam Rane, consultant sexologist at L.H. Raheja Hospital, says that a survey she had conducted among junior college students, revealed that less than one per cent of respondents received any sex education from their parents. “This is a damning statistic. It suggests less than 10 out of 1,000 parents talk to their children about sex, which means they learn about it through unreliable sources like friends, classmates or the Internet. And these days, children are inquisitive to not only seek information but also try it out themselves. The last thing parents want is their children trying out incorrect and dangerous sexual techniques,” she says.
Hiren Shah, father of a five-year old boy, says he is open to the idea of discussing sex with his child, but at an appropriate age. “It depends on what age my child is. I certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about it when he is just five or six. But once he reaches the age of 13, I think I could definitely have the talk with him then,” says Hiren.
“You have to be your child’s best friend right from day one; that helps break the ice better,” says actor and director Parmeet Sethi. “One needs to walk the tightrope and get through an admittedly awkward conversation. The most important thing is to never judge them, no matter what happens. If you judge them, they will never trust you again.”
Amit Lalwani, who has a 10-year-old son, admits that “the talk” may not be easy to have, but it is very important. “Children begin to go through so many changes by the age of 12. It just makes a lot more sense to have them learn about these things from a family member, rather than an outsider,” he says.
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