For the ladies- That "talk" your school had in fifth grade or so

[Orrex]

You know, the one in which they separated the boys and girls into two groups.

What was discussed in your "talk?"

[undeterred]

1. those embarrassing "accidents"

For years I tried to figure out how menstruation was related to being in a car accident and why it was embarrassing. :shrug:

[Bunny]

2. How to keep men perpetually crushed under the heels of our

stilettos.

[Orrex]

8. I knew it!

All these years I've suspected it, but I never had credible confirmation until now.

[Book Lover]

3. It was called "Guidance" and it was pretty good

It went on for the whole year of sixth grade. Girls in one classroom, boys in another (but there were only female teachers for sixth grade, so the boys were stuck talking to women about sex. Then again, who were they going to talk to, the priest?) We talked about the mechanics of sex, yes, but we also had open question time. And though it did take place in a Catholic school, it went pretty well. IIRC, we also talked about being accepting of gay people (late 70's-early 80's here).

[NewWaveChick1981]

4. Well... my mother had the "talk" with my sister and me, and

I was about 8 or so. She gave me the Life Cycle Library books when I was 10, so I was pretty hip about what was what. When I got to fifth grade, the "talk" was nothing new. They divided us into two groups---boys and girls. The film they showed us was matter-of-fact and was not tainted by anyone's religious beliefs or other opinions. My sex ed was incredibly progressive and enlightening, and I credit my mother, the books she gave me, and a progressive school system (Decatur City Schools, right outside of Atlanta, in the early-to-mid-70s) with my own progressive attitude toward sex. :woohoo: :toast:

[Orrex]

7. My sex ed...

It occurred like this, when I was about twelve:

Mom: Do you have any questions?

Orrex: Nope. Do you?

Mom: Nope.

And that was pretty much the entirety of it.

[ganeshji]

5. How to bleed for five days and not die.

[GirlinContempt]

6. They didn't separate us

there was no one to separate

[China_cat]

9. Nothing

Our school didn't do that kind of stuff. (No sex education in the school at all. As for the playground? That's a different story.)

[Fleshdancer]

10. we didn't get separated in my school

Sex ed was sooo boring...well except for that part where my science teacher put a condom on a banana. That was funny. All the boys thought it was hilarious to ask for homework though. :eyes:

[xmas74]

11. I missed the first talk at school.

We moved from one district that had not had the talk yet to another that had already had it. Mom gave me a pamphlet and said that it would answer everything. Everything else I learned from Skinemax and a 16 year old on my school bus.

We did talk when I was in high school but only as part of an anatomy class and the talk was pretty limited.

[graywarrior]

12. To not wear patten leather shoes coz they reflect up your dress.

[edbermac]

17. Ever hear of a writer named John Powers?

He wrote some books about growing up in the Catholic school system in Chicago in the 40's-50's; the first was The Last Catholic In America, the next Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?

Pretty funny if you grew up in that type environment.

[graywarrior]

19. I may have read one of his books. It sounds familiar.

[bertha katzenengel]

13. Menstruation

It was plain. I wasn't embarrassed; I don't know about anyone else.

[ikojo]

14. May fall under puberty but we talked about

our "monthly cycle" and how we would have it for at least 35 YEARS! The boys got to go out and play and we had to sit in a classroom and watch a flim strip (YES, it was a FILM STRIP) on MENSTRUATION and our changing bodies...OH JOY!!! oooh...we also got a small box of PADS, and I'm NOT talking about the kind you write onj either!

[leftofthedial]

15. all three choices are the same thing . . .

[Missy Vixen]

16. We were separated

My mother was the only parent that showed up to watch the film strip before the class saw it. Yes, I was embarrassed. My mom was a good Irish Catholic girl that never talked to me about sex, menstruation, any of it. The film strip was a parade of euphemisms ("you're a woman now!") and not especially helpful, as I remember.

We also received a lovely complimentary box of pads, which I promptly tossed. My mom was embarrassed about talking to me about the "facts of life," but she wasn't too embarrassed to talk to the neighbor when I, uh, was caught unaware a couple of years later. I had to go next door and borrow the necessities. :blush:

Julie

[Rosemary2205]

18. Husband and I had completely different talks

we are the same age, were in the same grade in the same public school in the late 60's and friends at the time.

The girls got the talk about menstration, abstinence and how even having a sexual urge makes you the scum of the earth and turn all of society against you forever and no one will ever want to marry you.

The boys got the wet dreams, how it's only natural to want to have sex, and how to protect against STD's and pregnancy.

[Orrex]

20. Sounds about right

Glad to know that they gave you both the full, unspun story.

[Skittles]

31. I am wondering if it is still like that

could some teenage girls weigh in please? :)

[alarimer]

21. We had no such thing in my school

Thankfully. My parents gave me a book. Everything else I learned in biology class. Or actually it was an anatomy and physiology class. I am thankful every day for that class. We learned everything about the human body- even the names of all 206 bones (most of which I can't remember). But the section on the reproductive system was done in the same manner as everything else. No giggling allowed. No beating around the bush, no euphemisms. Probably the best way I can think of to do it. Of course most of us were at least sophomores in high school, so it may have been a little late for some. But my question is this: why can't this approach be used? Straight up biology; no judgments, no abstinence bullshit. There was nothing about whether or not sex was right or wrong or whether it should only be done under certain circumstances. Or are people just to damn hung-up and afraid?

[retread]

22. As a boy, the only one we had was a question. "Who crapped in the urinal?" n/t

[Orrex]

23. Well, don't leave us in suspense! Who was it?

Surely the statue of urination has lapsed by this time?

[philosophie_en_rose]

24. It was horrifying. An elderly woman's sex fantasies.

The 5th grade class was split between girls and boys. The girls were all crammed into one classroom. Most of us sat on the floor. There was only one teacher, who projected photos of genitalia and explained what everything was. She also discussed periods and random information. Then, she decided to randomly discuss all of the things she thought we were thinking about and her graphically detailed personal fantasies. She also joked around with us, as if we had any clue why we should be laughing at her crude jokes about her own sex life.

I already knew about sex, but I was a little grossed out by it. It felt as if I had walked in on someone having a ... private moment.

[mykpart]

25. I was going to vote for the second thing, but

I don't know what "hegemony" means.

[Red State Rebel]

26. "Growing Up and Liking It"

I'll never forget seeing that film both in 4th grade and in Girl Scouts. Oy vey...

[SmileyBoy]

27. I'm just gonna sit quietly in a chair in the corner and observe the conversation.

:evilgrin:

[Canadian Socialist]

28. I voted "other"

as we girls didn't have "the talk" until grade six. We were kept after school, and our teacher passed out these booklets (from Kotex) which contained absolutely no useful information. Well, except for the part that very soon I could ride a horse or go swimming anytime I wanted! Bonus! 'Course we're talking 1965 in Winnipeg, so I guess that was reasonably progressive for the time. heee.

No, seriously, I had no idea what the hell the teacher was talking about. I didn't discover the joys of puberty for 2 more years. At which point, my mother opened my bedroom door and flung a book at me, telling me to read it. Yup, that was the extent of my sex education...

Here's hoping that it's a wee bit better today.

[JVS]

29. movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVnVqG3mpDM

[Zookeeper]

30. We were given a pamphlet with the title...

"You're a Young Lady Now." We watched a Disney movie about menstruation. The big question was, "Is it OK to go swimming?" and "Are you still a virgin if you use tampons?"