Sex and Knit: Children Have A Right To Know

Well it's been a week and a half but I think I have finally recovered from the visual and tactile assault on my senses that was The Great TTC KAL and it couldn't have come a moment too soon. The Surly Teen is finished with school and preparing to go off to "Youth Leadership Camp" and I need all the creative-life-force-energy I have to have "The Talk" with him before he goes. I thought that his father had discussed sects, dwarves and rock and roll with him years ago--like when he was 12 and all his girly friends were starting their menses and PMSing around him--but I discovered from the B & C a few nights back that they never actually got around to talking about "where babies come from" much less sex and relationships. They only manged to cover adoption, choice, same sex marriage and Stephen Lewis's work on HIV/AIDS in sub-saharan Africa. "But it's okay," the B & C reassured me, "he got Sex Ed at school."

Sex Ed at school? I think that I have my work cut out for me. Depending on what they taught him, he may have some major unlearning to do! Given that he's kind of nerdy maybe I can get away with buying him a big thick book on human sexuality with no pictures in it. An appealing idea. Off to Indigo I go!

While I may have been negligent on the Sex Ed front I have not been re: Knit Ed. Both my kids, the ST and his sister the Imperious Goth Tween know where their clothes really come from--time, patience and hardwork (on my part or some "wage slave's" in the "developing world")--NOT the Mall. (Although when the IGT was little she thought that all her sweaters were made from something--perhaps a cashmere goat?--called "Scratch" I think she meant "stash".) Unfortunately not all children get any Knit Ed at home which Rebel Knitter discovered while Riding the Rocket to work.

Sweet 4 year old to Rebel, "Why are you swording?"

(Rebel knits aggressively)

Rebel, friendly, "I'm not sweetie... I'm knitting."

4 year old, innocently, "Why?"

Rebel, nonchalantly, "I'm making my nephew in Australia a sweater.""

Somewhat less sweet, 4 year old, still innocently, "Why? Is his mummy too poor to buy one in the store?"

Rebel irritated, "No... I'm making him a one of a kind sweater just for him because I love him and he asked me to knit him one."

Materialistic 4 year old, incredulously, "Oh.... don't they have The GAP where he lives?"

Rebel, patiently, "No. they don't have The GAP in Australia..."

4 year old, sadly, "That's too bad. I love the GAP."

Mother of 4 year old, loudly, "We're at the Mall. Let's go."

Rebel, to herself, exhausted, "Big Box Store Kid with Big Box Store mindset!"

I think it's time that the education system started offering Knit Ed, any Knit Ed!