RE: Sex is normal - so why do we shield our teens from it?
Love your perspective and agree that our society definitely has a problem when it comes to portraying normal sexual relationships. I've known almost since puberty that pleasure is a normal and basic human need. Recently, I've been doing a lot of research into the Ecstatic / Orgasmic birth movement. Almost since biblical times our culture has supported a "No Pain, No Gain" mentality, and supported the opposite that pleasure and seeking it is somehow bad, selfish, perverted, etc. I've also been reading Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts, and she's a huge advocate for seeking pleasure in life. I really think this issue goes beyond even sexual pleasure, but pleasure in general. I also agree that the sex ed that is offered to most children is terrible advice. However, I don't think that we as a society should be looking to our schools / government to provide that education. Parents need to wake up. If they don't talk to their kids about what sex should be, then the kids are going to inevitably learn it somewhere. There is so much about parenting that is gross and embarrassing. Like getting pooped and vomited on for example. However, I think once kids reach teenagerdom, parents think the "hard and embarrassing" part of parenting is over. My extended family has personally seen the consequences of not properly educating their children when it comes to the sex topic. And what's really sad is the consequences their enduring could have been prevented by simply sucking it up and having an uncomfortable conversation with their child.
Yes, such a good point about parent having to talk to their children about sex. And that should start much earlier than teenage years. I will answer any questions regarding sex my young children have. Treating it as something normal when they grow up will help them foster healthy sexual relationships when they are older. I always say to my husband that I'd rather be the one giving my kids information about sex than them going to their friends or the Internet and getting the wrong kind of information.