Who is supposed to teach teenagers about sexuality? Why is it a big deal for parents to talk about sex? Why do some parents forego a proper sitting to discuss  with their growing children about crucial matters of life? Why is sexual education so often trivialized or treated like a forbidden subject in some homes? Why does simply creating awareness suddenly feel like crossing a moral line? I’m not talking about dismissing the sacredness or emotional depth of sex — I’m talking about honest, age-appropriate conversations that teach respect, boundaries, responsibility, and health. The kind of conversations that are like steady anchors  for  safely navigating the changing seasons of life. If sex is considered powerful and meaningful, shouldn’t education about it be handled with maturity rather than silence? Why do some parents treat knowledge as corruption, when in reality it can be protection?

The Gap in My Teenage Years

The sexual education programs provided by governments were something I never experienced. Had I, they might have bridged the gap left by my parents’ quiet avoidance, giving me the knowledge and reassurance I longed for as a teenager.  When I began to awaken to the idea of living life more fully, I became aware of a gap in my teenage years. I realized that I had missed out on certain experiences — especially the kind of teenage romance that is carefree, innocent, and unburdened by qualifications or material considerations. I longed for those stories and experiences, the ones that help shape understanding of boy-girl relationships, strengthen interpersonal skills, and offer lessons that go beyond just romance.

Teenage Romance: Innocence, Curiosity, and Growth

Science class often told us that boy-girl relationships are normal and healthy during adolescence. Still, because my home never addressed these topics, I grew up thinking sexuality was almost wrong — something to be avoided or hidden. Coming from a girls-only environment, with just my father as the male figure in my life, I can see now how a teenage relationship might have helped me navigate interactions with boys more naturally. After all, a father-daughter relationships, no matter how loving, cannot fully address certain experiences and needs that come with understanding peers of the opposite sex.

As irrational as it may seem, teenage love  makes sense in its own way. At that stage of life, such experiences align naturally with the changes happening in our bodies and emotions. Teen romance, in its carefree innocence, allows young people to explore feelings of attraction and connection without the heavy weight of adult expectations. In retrospect, my absence from romantic relationships at the time may have been a quiet safeguard. Without parental guidance to help me understand love, intimacy, and responsibility, I would have been navigating powerful emotions alone. Without direction, it would have been easy to make choices driven by curiosity or emotion rather than understanding. Those choices could have carried consequences I was not ready to bear.

Silence Isn’t Safety: The Role of Parents

Let me clear ;I do not mean to suggest that parents should now retreat into silence on these matters. Avoiding the conversation is not a solution; it is merely another extreme. The consequences of silence are rarely confined to one outcome — they are often wide-reaching and complex. Rather, I believe that embracing the parental responsibility of discussing these once-mystified and often taboo subjects is both appropriate and necessary. When approached with wisdom and age-appropriate language, such conversations become acts of protection, guidance, and love .Back then while growing up, the internet didn’t have a wide reach as it has now.  I was a teenager,  still young and impressionable, and I deserved honest answers delivered with care and innocence. Maybe, that’s how my parents were raised so they thought that would suit me too but I beseech   parents who feel hesitant about discussing sex with their children: approach the subject gently, but do not avoid it. As children grow, so does their curiosity. If parents do not shape the conversation with wisdom and age-appropriate language, the world will shape it for them. When answers are not found at home, children often turn to the internet, to peers, or to experimentation. Many of the confusion and missteps that follow could be eased by a calm, open-hearted discussion built on trust.

Steering Through the Digital Age& Call to Parents: Speak With Love and Wisdom

In this digital age, the importance of having a parent address these conversations cannot be overstated. Indeed, it is a blessing to have devices that provide vast amounts of information about sex. But if this information is like an endless sea, parental guidance is like the oars that help steer a young person safely through it, keeping them from being overwhelmed or misled. Silence on matters of sex and relationships  does not preserve innocence — it merely transfers authority to the outside world.

Parents who avoid these conversations may unintentionally leave their children vulnerable to misinformation, pornography, and premature experimentation. Some may struggle with questions about identity and relationships without guidance. Yet these complex issues can often be addressed early through honest, age-appropriate dialogue rooted in love and clarity. As digital life becomes inseparable from daily routines, parents must actively engage in conversations about sex, relationships, and other crucial matters with their adolescents.

                                        Insight

Were you taught about sex and relationships? Looking back, do you feel the guidance you received — or didn’t receive — was the right kind? Think about it: the way we learn about love, intimacy, and boundaries shapes not only our choices, but who we become. If your education came only from whispers, peers, or the internet, how might that have influenced you?”