h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In my first year of teaching I've already had a furious parent storming in, demanding to know what I've been telling her child about sex. As I teach year 1 (age 5-6), the answer was, unsuprisinly, nothing. She'd heard it all in the playground. It's amazing what some parents let kids watch on tv... and of course they quickly cotton on to the idea that it is 'naughty' and therefore funny. I've even overheard one member of my class (again, 6 years old) describing in graphic detail what he would like to do to my breasts. And we won't go in to the reasons why one of my colleagues confiscated her class's doctors and nurses equipment... Kids are exposed to so much sex in the media, parents need to be able to talk about it with their children... I really agree with the authors of the article... parents don't need to swamp their kids with information but I think a lot of trouble could be avoided if they answer their questions, and just let them see that sex is something special and loving and shouldn't be embarrassing! You can tell the kids in my class who can talk sensibly about these things with their parents... it all seems perfectly natural and they tell the others to grow up!