The facts of life

[Peter Walker]

I think it's a pity people don't talk much about how they learned the facts of life, because it's something which has changed so much over the years, and it's a vital part of history. Speaking for myself, in 1944 when I was 11 my mum did her duty, a few days after my dad went back from leave to the RAF, telling her it was time for her to do the necessary with me (although he was the qualified teacher!). I'm sure she did her best - some of it certainly corrected the nonsense I had already picked up from school, but I found it difficult to believe that my mum and dad, and indeed all the grown-ups I knew, would have done such things.
At Aston Grammar School we had a very superficial briefing about a year later but when I was about 14 or 15 we had a teacher, Mr Arthurs, who gave us a brilliant series of lessons on "General Science". One of these was on creation - where we came from and what we were. It was then that I first realised I was not only alive, but also had the entire responsibility for leading my own life - I found this quite frightening.
Another lesson a week or so later was on the "Birds and Bees" topic. He briefly but clearly covered the physical details with relevant technical advice, but in the context of leading an adult life and especially of long-term human relationships. He stressed the importance of respect and loyalty. I think I owe him a lot for my happy 45 years of married life, although I so regret some of my earlier follies, when I really knew better.
I always remember how about 50 years ago a girl friend told me how her mother never told her any of the facts of life, and being too timid to ask her about her first period, had to ask her married sister what to do. Similarly she had to rustle up 7s 11d to buy her first bra, which she was terrified to leave for her mum to wash. But she did wash it, without saying a word.
We hear that mums rarely gave their daughters positive advice on married life, but that if a girl became pregnant before marriage, mum would either arrange an abortion or send her of to a home for a month, at the end of which the innocent baby would be taken away and the girl would return under a cloud.
Thank heavens life is not quite so bad today.
Pete

 

[colinwilliams1]

We learnt most of what we knew in the school playground and none of it was very accurate.

I never had the talk from me dad but we had some chap come in to tecah us "hygiene" which also included some dreadful films of venerial disease.

It was considered good fun to ask the Religious education teacher "what is a prosititute sir? a per pro the prodigal son story .


But we muddle along .

 

[Oisin]

I was never taught them and am still quite ignorant on the subject of procreation. :?

I recall them being on the time-table for some class or other at school. I can remember the teacher smiling when he anounced he was going to give us the low-down, if we wanted it. 8) Then he said those who were interested in learning more than what they'd picked up at the back of the bike sheds should stay behind and he would explain. :roll: Well we all wanted to hear it but hometime was more important and the class emptied. S'pose that's why I am the man I am today, eh? :wink:

 

[Pomgolian]

What...!

The only teaching I had at school on the subject was a couple of films about 'The Curse' when I started Bloomsbury Girls at age 11 and we were told to tell our mother's what we had seen. (Some parents even complained about that :!: )
That was it :!: I told mom and I never heard another thing on the subject from an adult. Forgot all about 'The Curse' until 4 years later as I was a late bloomer. 8)

Chris

 

[Aston John]

We used to have sex education in the last year of school this chap would come with all sorts of diagrams and we would ask him some very embaressing questions but he could handle anything thrown at him. His knickname was Dirty Dick. The school was Birchfield Sec' Mod' for boys.

 

[jean nesbitt]

My mom never told me anything nor did any of the girls older than me including my sister, as for school nothing. I remember going and asking my mom for a plaster as I had cut myself...funny now but not back then and even when I had my 1st daughter I did not have a clue about what went on in childbirth thank the lord children today are given that education and I made sure both my girls were well informed.

 

[brenda barr]

The only facts of life education we had at school that was Burlington st...was a few weeks before we left we had a nurse midwife come and instruct us on how to take care of a baby bathing and feeding etc, how it got here was never touched....and l sure did'nt learn much at school from class mates as l'm sure they were as much in the dark as l was....and l got much less at home...it was a subject that never came up....mother never told me about the "curse" when it did happen l was terrified ....only then did mom give me advice....not to play with boys ..not to get your hair and feet wet...you can imagin l was terrified every month when it rained .....luckily when l met Ron he realised how GREEN l was and he got a book for me to read from the RAF camp library....l know the night before l was married l said to mom well are'nt we suppose to have a mother and daughter talk...moms reply was "use your common sense" bless her l realise now this was about all the sex education she had.....also l remember my father telling me you know right from wrong and if you bring trouble to this house your out,... how times have changes thank goodness...my g/daughter knew more at 10 years old than l did at 20...but l do think its sad that we were innocent so much longer by todays standards...but l'm sure TV has a lot to do with that.. Brenda

 

[Old Boy]

I am in my eighties and have 4 children. It is about time I learned the 'Facts of Life'.

Joking apart - can anyone explain why, when there was little or no sex education teenage pregnancies were rare and the talk of the town, but now we are inundated with sex and what it is all about , we are overrun with unmarried teenage mothers?

Old Boy.