The end of my pregnancy marked the first time I used the internet to gather information. Before that it had been books. It’s long been my method at any point of crisis to research obsessively both facts and the experiences of others, and impending delivery then represented the biggest crisis I’d ever faced.
During lunch and breaks from teaching I’d hunch over my huge belly and read everything I could find about giving birth. One site in particular listed hundreds upon hundreds of labor and delivery stories ranging from easy to excruciating, happy to heartbreaking, joyously reported to furiously spat out. Over a period of several weeks I believe I read them all. They proved invaluable not because I modeled my delivery on any of them, but instead because they showed me the enormous range of what was possible.
For over a year now it’s been on my mind to create a similar resource for stories about a topic that currently occupies a great deal of my thought. Finally yesterday I took the plunge and purchased a domain. Beyond the Birds and the Bees will be an online resource where people can share accounts of conversations between parents and children on the topic of sexuality. We’ll explore how people have taught their children about sexuality, how they’ve been taught, what’s effective, what’s not, and what’s downright funny.
Eventually I hope the site can represent thousands of experiences as diverse as naming body parts, coming out to family members, learning about the mechanics and the emotions of sex, dealing with abuse, teaching methods of birth control, disclosing assault, celebrating puberty, handling sex as it relates to disability and even discussing menopause with our mothers and daughters. I want it to be a place where folks can go for information, shared experiences both wonderful and horrifying, and of course laughter.
With the help of the very patient folks at AN Hosting and some kind readers of this blog, who never once called me a n00b despite extreme provocation, I managed to get the bare-bones basics of this site running. It needs loads more work before it will be ready to accept submissions, but for now will you please add it to your feed reader or bookmark it? You can be sure that I’ll let you know when we’re closer to an official launch.
I’d also like to invite my readers to get in on the first wave of submissions to the site. Start thinking now about the ways that you have educated and been educated about sexuality. I’ll post some guidelines soon, but for now start cogitating.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Criticisms? Ideas? Please share below.
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* Babeland Blog
* Lesbian Mommy
* Mommy Mandy
* Urban Gypsy
* Christen Clifford
* Nite Byrds Nest
Click for Sexy Lingerie, Costumes and Stiletto Heels
I love this idea!
I will be following, despite not being a parent and really having no intention of ever becoming one. I am however a sister to a much younger brother, and a soon to be aunt. And I don’t trust my mother or my sister to do decent sex ed.
This is awesome. I will link it and visit and hopefully, submit as well.
peace…
AAG, this is a wonderful idea. I too am not planning to be a parent but I can see the huge potential in this site – a useful resource and an ongoing conversation about sex education. Congrats!
It won’t just be for parents. It will be also be for adults to share their experiences in being educated about sexuality. :)
http://timesonline.typepad.com/alphamummy/2009/05/5-steps-to-understanding-teenage-girls.html
that book sounds like might be up your alley.
Thank you!
This has been a major topic on my mind as my children gear up to leave for university. Very fun stories. Lots of mum-trepidation. I’d love to participate if you’ll have me.
This is a fabulous idea. I know from reading your site that you’ve often wondered about such topics and how to introduce them and discuss them etc…
I’m in! As a young adult (well… not getting younger. lol nearer to 30 now than 20. eep!) I think I have wonderful memories of being taught about sexuality. My mom did a GREAT job with me I think and I can’t wait to share that experience with everyone. It’ll be wonderful to pass along the web address to my mom so I can see from her end what she was intending to portray and compare that to what actually sunk in. It’ll be great!
I think this is a brilliant idea :)
The first time my son (at the age of 5) asked me how they get babies out of the mommy’s tummy I paniced and said “it’s magic” LOL. I wasn’t really prepared to begin answering questions about the logistics of birth.
I look forward to reading, and hopefully contributing, as my son is now 7 and the questions are just going to get more interesting.
Shasta
It’s magic…I love it!
Excellent idea & it sounds like it will be a great resource. I have 5 kids, age ranging from 4 to 19 and the experiences have been diverse,funny,nerve-wracking & never the same twice.
Thanks for all the kind replies everyone. I fully expect all of you to contribute there, starting the instant I get the submissions form set up.
:)
If you need any help in the web design realm, let me know.. sounds like a great idea.. and just so you dont think I am some random person that would just post a crazy offer, I have been following your blog for about 2 years now or so. Read it pretty much on a daily basis.
Jack
Baroo? Orly? You just may hear from me in the upcoming days. I do like a challenge, but even I have limits.
THANK YOU.
Nope just an admirer from a far… I have commented on here before but I dont expect you to remember who I am.
Jack
Hey AAG, Best of luck with “B the B and the B’s”…The Triple-B Ranch…the site looks great, and I’m sure, like AAG, it will be a wild success!! The native flute was associated heavily with fertility, so if you take Jack up on his offer and want some sultry flute music for your homepage, I can shoot you some mp3’s!
Cheers,
Jamie
Toronto
Awesome. Now I’ll have a go-to site when I start making itty bitty toychicks!
I can’t think of a better person to be captaining such a concept. I wish you the absolute best of luck :)
-TTC
Thank you. I’ll expect submissions from you asap, baby!
Way cool.
What a great idea! My kids are grown, now but I sure wish I had a place like your site will be to go for reference and help.
It’ll be on my links, for sure!
This sounds like a wonderful project!
I most sincerely hope you will contribute! :)
I’d jump on the social networking webpages and IM services with the site name asap. The obvious majors are Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, LiveJournal, DeadJournal, Orkut, Windows Live Spaces, Yahoo Messenger, AOL Messenger, Windows Messenger, etc. If things go well register all the .net .org .biz etc domains before they get squatted upon. If you eventually need design/hosting services check out AdWizards. Not the cheapest but definitely among the best customer service I’ve ever found. Let me know before you get in touch with them and I’ll give you a name to use as a reference. That’s it off the top of my head, best of luck with this! =D
Thanks so much! :)
I love this. I’ll be watching and offering and reading. Glad to see this here.
Awesome idea! Good luck with your project. ^.^
I think this will be great! Can I submit from the teenagers point of view, from when my mother told me about sex? I think it’s important to get feedback from the children (elder, obviously) as well.
http://themorethemerrierblog.blogspot.com/
Yes ma’am. In fact the submissions form is up and working now:
Submit Your Story
great post and I look forward to hearing more from you!
I love this idea and have already added the new project to my Reader subscriptions. As swingers and parents of 2 young kids, Veronica and I will be sure to follow along, and maybe even submit something!
Yes, please do submit. I’m especially interested in how kinksters of all varieties present sexuality information to their families.
Great start. Love the logo.
I look forward to reading the experiences people post.