Learning happens at any age.

You may have noticed my foray into poetry. I love poems. As a young person I enjoyed my poems performed through the choice of artists on my iPod. As an adult, I’ve mostly not stopped to think let alone explore poetry. Now I’ve slowed down a bit, it’s something that is all coming back to me. All my school lessons suddenly click into place. I used to write in my spare time but I looked back on my writing as immature and ill informed.

I have gained confidence in myself sexually. I know much more about my body and what I like to do with it. Take that in which ever way you like, the fact is still the same. I no longer care so much about whether I’m right for the other person. I think of how right they are for me. I might notice myself catch on to a few things that don’t work for me on their own, but can be swayed. I end my fact with ‘what would my mum think if she saw me stood next to this person?’. That might not work for everyone, but my mum’s got an eye for personalities that don’t click. She’s very intolerant of them, really. Has its benefits, though.

My knowledge of cats was at the tolerant end of dislike. Until I lived with a few cats who were well looked after and I remembered that cats, like people, are affected by the behaviour of others around them. I now am overly interested in cats. My cousin is a cat behaviourist and I’m considering getting in touch with her when I get my own cat.

Yes some things should be learned before you are 10. How to communicate. How to manage your emotions. How to interact with the world. How to survive. Maybe not sex. But respect for another person’s body? Sure. Understanding the difference between wants and needs? Useful prerequisite at any age of course. How to communicate? Definitely.

You can learn what sex IS at a time that suits, and how it links to relationships you want to have will be a whole other discussion. But the building blocks so you learn it healthily before it’s too late? Surely that’s important before you’re 10…