Reproduction

Public safety warning. There now follows a lengthy airing of my views:

Since Oliver pointed out to Mark at the weekend that 'sex' was a similar thing to 'making love', (it's a long story), we have been umming and ahhing over when is the right/best time to explain the facts of life to him. (Oliver, not Mark ha ha). Oliver is only 7, but I understand that at his age, his contempories are having some sort of sex education at school. I probably would not have even thought about it yet, but in mixing with different aged kids and from different walks of life as he does, there is a danger he could get mixed messages about a subject I would prefer him to be very clear on. Also, as it falls to me in the main to teach him everything, I felt I could just incorporate it matter of factly into a 10 minute slot without preamble or awkwardness on either side. I am not sure if I leave it if it would be worse to explain at a later date.

Decisions decisions.

In discussing it (at considerable length on my part) with Mark last night, he told me to 'stop banging on about it and just get on with it.' So I did.

With the aid my good friend the World Wide Web, I explained my way through the male and female reproductive organs, the menstrual cycle, sperm and eggs and then realised I was in trouble when he thought the passage of sperm to the egg was via weeing in the mouth. Oh dear. After more explanations he seemed to think the real way was 'gross' and then fell about in hysterics at the thought that Mark and I had actually had a go at it. (once, obviously) I wound up our foray into the wonderful world of reproduction with the advice that he is not allowed to do it until he is at least sixteen, preferably as part of a relationship and under no circumstances is he ever do it with someone who doesn't want to do it with him.

In all honesty, this does feel a little young, but I am also conscious that his lack of knowledge could have left him at an uncomfortable disadvantage in the not too distant future.