On the flip side...

Sex Ed

It's a tough one. I think that the world at large struggles with how to do it right. It's understandable that we don't want to share our sex lives with our children. At best we get super-liberal children who are comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality. At worst we really freak them out and scar their psyche. Those are the two extremes, I don't know how many of us hit either one.

For most of us it ranges from a mildly uncomfortable conversation with Mom or Dad, to a few books from the top shelf of the closet, to conversations in the schoolyard, to getting freaked out by the girl who thinks she knows everything and is (thankfully) wrong. Toss almost any religion on top of that and it just gets harder.

The world at large has become comfortable with sex and sex education by decrimenalization of sexual activity. "It's all fine, be aware of the consequences, so here's a condom." We can't do that.

Should there be Sex-ed classes in religious schools? What should be included? Do we need to feed kids questions they are not (yet) asking? What is the "need to know" list?
What does the 9th grade, religious kid need to know?

Here is an indepth post on Masturbation, Guilt, and Ganzfried.
I think I'll be kicking this around with people for the next few days. It's fun throwing words like Sex and Masturbation into conversations with frum folk.

UPDATE: R' Chaim has posted a collection of more mainstream thoughts on the matter.

posted by YS @ 7:44 AM