The sex talk

I got to listen to that today.  Well, it wasn't really the sex talk as they were only 4th graders-they called it a human growth and development presentation.  They talked about starting puberty and the body changes as well as starting the period.  I got to sit through the video and Q&A session with all of the 4th grade girls, the guidance counselor, and the other 4th grade teachers, and the nurse giving the presentation.

Some of the girls definitely had great, valid questions.  Others had some strange questions and many repeat questions.  I think the biggest one was will it hurt and what happens if they get their period in the middle of class.  I am not so sure they understood that it starts more like a dripping faucet, not a gush.  Tampons also had them a bit confused.  Oh well, it was an hour and a half of the afternoon that I did not have to teach.

Obviously the boys did not have as many questions because when we got back to the room we discovered that all the boys were in the gym playing kickball.  (The downside of having the gym teaching present the boys session!)

Oh well, they went right home after the presentations, so I didn't have to field any questions!!

Times sure have changed since I was in school.  I remember being separated as 5th graders, but don't remember much of what was presented to us.  I do remember that the teacher kept the girls in for a few minutes of recess to show what a tampon does in water-expands.  (That was not part of this presentation, but they did get to see how a pad a tampon work-as well as you can without actually showing it!!)

Oh, the lives of middle schoolers!!