The Conversation Every Parent Dreads

The sex one.  I am sure anyway.  I am not a parent and therefore I am no expert as to how awkward that conversation must be, but I do remember ALL TOO CLEARLY having it with my parents.  Oh god.

Now, I was very, very lucky.  My parents were quite liberal when it came to sex.  Only the talking about it part.  At least, that's what I tell myself whenever a nasty thought about my parents sex life happens to pop up in my sick, sick mind.  Come on, it happens to you too!  It just did, didn't it?  Believe me, I know that they do, I have even talked to them about it which has left DEEP scars on my psyche.  But, my point is that my parents were open with us about sex.  They always told us that they know teenagers have sex and they would rather put their kids on birth control and teach them about respecting themselves and a potential partner, then have them pregnant at 15 with a 'ruined future'.  I realize that this is probably a pretty controversial subject with many parents, and many parents would rather a) pretend that their child would never do such a thing, b) they would absolutely forbid their child to have sex until they were 18-years-old and hope that this stern warning would work, or c) lock their kid up when they noticed all those horny little teens sniffing around their door.

I have no idea how I would react to this because like I said, I am not a parent.  I would hope that I would be like my parents and let my kids know that it was safe to come to me when they became sexually active.  Although at this point I lean towards option C.  I would lock them up and throw away the key.  No, I would swallow the key.  And keep swallowing it until they were old enough.  Which in my mind, would be never.

I bring this topic up because of that damn show

16 And Pregnant

 on MTV.  How is there an ENTIRE show about kids who are that young and pregnant?  Please do not think that I am judging, because I am not.  I have 'nieces' out there who wouldn't be here if some of my friends had not decided to keep their children when they were young and pregnant.  So how is it that these parents were not aware that their child was having sex?  I would know.  I would know if they were 10,000 miles away because my parent radar would be ringing and flashing intense red lights across the world, and I would sniff them out like a blood hound.

My sister did not tell my parents when she started having sex, They just knew.  So when they asked her if it was time to go on birth control, what could she say?  She was busted.  It would have been stupid of her at that point to deny it because they were offering her what every teenager wants:  FREEDOM.  When it came down to my turn, I was almost eighteen.  And I still told my mother about it as if I had killed someone.  She laughed at me and made a doctor's appointment.  Which my mostly traditional European father took me to.  When the appointment was over (you know what I am talking about ladies), he asked me if EVERYTHING WAS OK.  I died.  

So what is your take on this?  I know a lot of you folks are parents out there.  Would you be like my parents and teach your kids about safety and respect, or would you tell your kids that sex made things fall off and they should just avoid it altogether?