Abstract:
Because ofchanging times, children are more exposed to the realities of sex, now, more than ever, the intervention of mothers in sex education is greatly needed. In this study, the
researcher aims to find out how mothers face the task of educating their children about
sex; how open they are to the discussion of sex, how knowledgeable they are, and how
effectively they communicate with their children in terms of sexual matters. Twenty-eight
middle-class mothers of Barangay Bayanihan, Quezon City have been asked to
participate in answering a survey questionnaire, while four mothers, two barangay
kagawads, one barangay health worker, and one SK chairperson have been invited for
individual in-depth interviews. In the course of the study, the researcher has found that,
overall, the mothers of Barangay Bayanihan are at the point of transition between
conservatism and liberalism, and that they still bear the reticence of older generations to
talk about sex. The researcher has also discovered that the mothers lack knowledge in sex
education because of the curbing of their times to know about sexual matters; and that
because of these two factors (semi-conservatism and lack of knowledge), they have not
been able to fully and effectively communicate with their children about sex. The
researcher believes that in order for this problem on proper sex education to be formally
addressed, mothers should also be given ample learning, and that mothers should be
made to understand that openness to sex education does not mean openness to the
irresponsible promotion of the act; instead, it means promotion of a higher understanding
of sex, bodily changes, urges, etc, in order to educate, inform, and warn.
