“Oh, he’ll learn about sex in school!”

“She’s too young to know about that now.”

Attitudes like these are irrresponsible and unfair to your child. What do you tell your child about his sexuality? Did you know that parents are the primary source of sex education for their children? Your words, actions, and overall attitudes guide children through their sexual education. So, even if you don’t talk about sexuality, your child will still receive messages about sex.

But, just in case your child receives the wrong message, talk with him or her. Being open about sexuality is crucial to your child’s future. Teen-age pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are the result of ignorance and carelessness of both parents and their children. If sexuality were only a subject that could be openly discussed without embarrassment, then maybe a decrease would be seen in the number of teen-age pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Let’s start the new decade off right and communicate with each other. Karen A. Kilborn Orono