Sex Education

It's been in the news again.

I've always had mixed feelings about it. Too early and it can confuse. Too late and it is a waste of time and patronising. And then there is the problem of how to present it and how much information you impart.

A minefield.

I remember being shown a film at school one very hot day in the Sixth Form. We were crammed into a hot room with the curtains drawn and sweltered while we watched the film.

It was about VD. Or STD's as they are known now. In colour too.

I fainted when the pictures of the Syphilitic sores came on and had to be carried out of the classroom.

I was touched by the fact that no-one poked fun afterwards. In fact everyone was so tactful and nice. We are talking teenagers here. I suspect that many of the others must have come close to falling over and maybe welcomed my distracting collapse.

I gained most of my knowledge away from school. I suppose you could call them 'practicals' and got a few surprises. I was shocked to find out just how far round the vagina is. For some reason I imagined it 'at the front' amongst the pubic hairs and remember fumbling one evening with my finger travelling what seemed like forever between a poor girls legs until I finally found it.

I wonder how Granddaughter will learn. Gradually I hope.

She likes the comedy series 'Friends'. It can be quite adult and is fairly open about sex but not in your face. There was one episode where one of the girls goes upstairs to see a neighbour. The sounds coming from the room made it obvious what they are doing. Moaning, rhythmic noises. You get the drift.

'They're having sex aren't they' came the triumphant comment when Granddaughter watched it.

And sometimes when two of the characters are flirting and alone and things are leading up to............you know.....she'll pipe up and say, 'They are going to have sex aren't they', smiling knowingly.

I wonder how much 'knowing' there is.

I wonder how many surprises she gets.

I hope they're nice. Mine were in the main.