Let's talk about sex ...

There has been an outcry against “raunch culture” and the premature sexualisation of our children, but has the focus of our anger been misdirected? Is sex the problem, or is the problem the debasing of sex by industries that only present sex in its most meaningless forms?

In view of what our children see and hear, talking to them when they are very young about sex is no longer an optional extra. It’s a must.

The point is not just to pre-empt or contextualise the pornography and advertising they’re exposed to, but to instil healthy and informed attitudes to sexuality. A holistic awareness and understanding of sexuality in families should be part of the wallpaper from the time children are born. It’s not about coming up with the right moment or the right age to break the news that sex happens.

Children should be able to look back and not even remember when they first heard about sex because it was always something they knew about, like cooking or driving or politics, even though they weren’t old enough to indulge in any of these at the time.