I remember my first conversation with her mother about sex. I was about six years old (so I have an excuse for this story.) My mother took me and my sister in a huge, crowded theater in Manhattan where we then lived. We watched "Father of the bride" with Steve Martin. The film is well suited for children, but there was one episode when Steve Martin in the role of the father suddenly decides that his little "innocent" daughter, who is 23 years old, has sex with her fiance. Steve Martin starts to fuss and worry when the couple is going to go for a drive and it POPs up a phrase: "don't forget to fasten your condoms!"

All the audience exploded with thunderous laughter. When all was quiet, I turned to the mother and the shrill voice of a child of six said, "They're going to have sex?" All nearby turned to us to hear mom's response. She only said, "Yes, dear."

Not paying attention to the muffled Snickers, I told with sympathy: "Mom, I thought you told me that I would die, if you are going to have sex!". Now the audience laughed still is stronger, than over Steve Martin. And mother decided that in current situation the simplest way is to repeat what they said: "Well, Yes, that's right, dear."

Now, lest you think that my mom's a whack job who tried fears to beat out any nonsense from the head of the unfortunate child, I will tell that she talked not to me. I overheard her talking with my older sister about AIDS, how they get sick and what can happen when a person infected them. I just got it wrong. However, the mother has not become easier.

And before you decide that it's just a funny incident that happened to a child in the cinema, understand that there may be a lesson for us. First, if you incorrectly discuss these issues with children, they (even in older age) can only understand half of, and fast to draw false conclusions. But children do not remain eternally six-year-old. They grow and appear in situations where are compelled to make decisions independently. Today such occurs everything earlier and earlier. Therefore, the misunderstanding (and it may arise and the appropriate steps) that's funny to hear from a six year old child, later in lips of the teenager stops being amusing and starts frightening.

You need to find ways to say everything and at the same time to overcome confusion, and to destroy the dead "teen wall", which some of us erect to prevent parents to interfere too with our Affairs. All this is easy to say but difficult to do. Although thanks to the help of Teens from all States "wall" remains as impregnable.

Here's what, according to teenagers, parents need to know by talking to them about sex. And although some advice is hard to hear, I hope they will help to build better communication with us.