That's brilliant Berbs.
And I don't think there is a set way to raise your child...not that I would know because I'm not a parent, but I don't judge you AT ALL for raising your children YOUR way.
Growing up in a very strict environment where I was restricted when it came to sex, I snuck looks behind my parents backs anyway. Since I was always bi-curious when I was a teenager, I was always interested in the naked female (and male) figure. My parents would change the channel if two people kissing came on television...until I was about 17...and will probably still do it when I go back to live with them. However when they weren't home, and two people were kissing on television, I'd watch with a sense of curiosity. Of course, my parents don't know this.
There is only so much you can do to stop them from looking at porn at such a young age, etc, but like you said, loads of corner shops have the images on the top shelf anyway. I think you handled it well by teasing him about it because you are building up a form of trust with your son and so, hopefully, when he gets older he will be able to openly talk to you about it (in the sense that he can get sex education from you and not from his mates who might give him the wrong information).
Just remember, that the more you restrict a child, the more they will want to do something because curiosity is a built-in human characteristic.
I can understand if the other parents on the board disagree with me, because none of what I have written is coming from a parent's perspective...just a curious girl who grew up in a strict household.
Yes, this is it, I remember being that way too when my parents were out, and they were regularly out working, I was left at home alone when I was 8, my sisters were 10 and 4. When they were out at work, we would watch the things they never let us watch, I even play acted some kissing and fondling scenes with the scottish girl from next door.
However there was such shame in me as I grew because sex was wrong, it was bad. Nudity for a girl was a sin, I felt sinful if my skirt was too short as a teen. I knew nothing about sex except what I saw on tv, and damn those unrealistic love stories like dirty dancing
because the education is crap, it's like reading a fairy tale and thinking that's how it is going to be.
No, I want my kids to be clued up. You hit the nail right on the head, my son does come to me now, I found it very uncomfortable to start off with and it put a strain on me, I even shouted at him for it once, but with time and hard inner work he can now ask me things. It's still tough though, because he goes boarding school and there are older boys there who are teaching him bullshit about stuff I personally wouldn;t want him to know at his age (11).
However my brother assures me that 11 is pretty damn normal for the curiousity to begin, that he was aswell at that age, so I am trying to relax.
I'm just glad he feels he can trust me enough to ask me these things.
I did find it hard to smother the giggle the other day. He saw a 4yr old boy with a hard on, and in his infinite wisdom then proceeded to tell me all about how it happens to him too now, but that it happens whenever he thinks of something rude or sees something rude.
Bit too much information, but at least he trusts me.
Topic: Raising children too openly?