How many of you parents have discussed sex and drugs with your children?

Honestly, I really like the idea of the schools educating our children as young as 6th grade. I know that the males aren't maturing as fast as the girls are at this age...however, its a great age to start at because they are becoming more curious. There are also girls at this age who have already started their menstrual cycle...once that happens, their horomones go crazy...and they start liking boys...wanting to go on little "dates" ....wanting to try out kissing and all that.

Drugs and Alcohol should be introduced during this time, because 7th grade was the first time I was offered alcohol...I mean...6th graders know generally what sex is just by talking to friends, television, and videos...and lets not forget...the INTERNET

Not a parent, but my parents are Catholic. I am an atheist. They never said anything about 1, 3, 8. I just picked that up in health class. Concerning 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, my parents drilled into my head that if they ever caught me doing any of the following, they would hurt me very badly (they actually used details). With 9 and 10, my parents raised me strictly Catholic and with the thought that we were the only ones with the truth. When I told them I was an atheist, they pretty much said I was damned. However, they are divorced now so I guess they're damned right along with me... Lastly, I will applaud my parents for raising me with good morals. If anything, they must be proud of my character, even if I disappointed them religion-wise.

I'm sorry to say that I've talked to both my kids about sex and drugs and I still think that the voices that influence them the most come from the kids they hang out with. The parent is always a parent - from another era, with different values, or so the kid thinks. My son asked me about how kids socialized when I was in school many years ago. I told him about dances and dates and Friday night at the high school, walking around at the game to see who was there with whom. He basically told me I was a dinosaur and nobody does that crap anymore.

I told him about parking, too, and making out.

I told him about going to the dance every week at the local church and hoping I would see a certain boy there and maybe he would ask me to dance. He thought that was ludicrous.

He listened to me and laughed at my lack of understand of modern life.

A year passed.....

This Friday, he's going to a dance. He went to a semi-formal already at another high school and let me pick out the wrist corsage for his date (after I called her to ask her what color her dress was). He let me take him to a hair salon for a trim and shampoo so that his hair would look shiny and clean.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. As Mark Twain said, (I paraphrase), 'When I was a teenager, my old man was an idiot; by the time I was in my 20s, it was amazing how much the old guy knew.'

Well....I talk to my kids about EVERYTHING!! I am not leaving that up to other kids or a school system. I have talked to my children about babies, hiv, aids, herpes, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. Did I leave anything out???

I think the key to alcohol and drugs is bringing in the responsibility factor. I always bring up that drugs are illegal and if you are smoking anything or get caught with any of that type of stuff on your person, you are going to jail.

I think that alcohol needs to be done with responsibility. I tell them all the time not to get into a car with someone that is drinking and driving. I don't care what time of day or night it is to call me.

I worry sometimes though because although I have tried to educate them, you wonder how much they will actually use or remember when the time comes.

Communication is so important with your children. When they encounter a problem and they trust you they will inform you about things that are going on in their lives.

I started sex ed back in 5th grade. Basically that was just about how babies are made. Each year after that (ended freshman year of H.S.), it got more involved and more about how to be responsible about sex. They talked about STDs and contraception.

I think this kind of info is VITAL!!!

If you look at the stats, the states that only allow "abstinence only" sex ed (just tell the kids to not have sex - don't tell them about contraceptives, etc.) have the HIGHEST teen birth rates.

I think parents should start talking with their kids about this kind of stuff in middle school. Obviously tell them that they're too young at that point to get into sex, but as they get older, make sure that if they think they are ready that they know about condoms and all that.

My kids are too young to know. But I do hope the school puts in a good effort like they taught me while I was young its a good thing to learn about in schools especially this day and age! I'm Christian but I do care about my kids learning that stuff and where. Its important to me that they don't learn on the streets and I will be talking to them also about these things as they are very important and when it comes to sex we will be having an aids discussion and a video about aids to watch called Fatal Love with Molly Ringwald, a great movie. I like to pause and ask the kids what they just talked about in the movie to see if they're paying attention! I keep them on their toes.

Yes I talk about drugs and sex to my 12 year old.They also learn about drugs through an educational life van at school which takes place at primary school every year since reception.This is inAustralia.Yes there needs to be more emphasis on these type of programmes especially for teenagers.

i'm a teenager and my parents always came to avoid those talks. idk, i wasn't even allowed to take sex ed in 7th grade. yes, i found out from tv, friends, high school. personally, that's how to come to realize how stupid it is