doncalypso

Ladies and gentlemen of TFP:

I assume most of you know that there has been an ongoing debate in the American education system about whether middle and high school students should be taught about sex exclusively from their parents or whether some of a child's sexual education should be provided at school. I personally believe that while school should teach children some basics about sex (such as the physiology of sex and reproduction) that parents ought to take a more proactive role in teaching their kids about sex.

However, while this whole debate is going on about sex, one thing I'm curious to know is whether parents in North America (and maybe worldwide) teach their kids anything about love, romance and relationships.


My parents are both medical doctors, and from an early age they told me all I needed to know about sex and refined my knowledge as I grew older and could understand more complex concepts such as fertilization and embryonic implantation. However, I don't remember them telling me much about relationships and dating.

From what I can recall, my father always told me to treat a woman with respect, and my mother always warned me not to be inconsiderate and break a woman's heart. Also, I was always warned to make certain I never let any relationship take precedence over my academic studies but I was never given a lengthy "talk" about relationships with women in general.

So what about you out there, ladies and gents of TFP? Did your parents ever educate you on relationships with the opposite sex? Were you ever given any advice prior to engaging in romantic relationships or did you have to earn your PhD in opposite gender relations from the University of Hard Knocks? If you were in your parents' shoes, what would you tell your children about relating to the opposite sex as they grew up? Would you place their romantic education on par with their sex education?

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Doncalypso... the one and only Haitian Sensation