We just talked about how people in the United States would rather talk with their friends about sex than about money. Let’s carry the link between sex and money a little further today.

Remember back to sex ed in elementary school, in junior high, with your parents, and possibly also in your religious education classes and premarital counselling? While there was some information presented, there was almost always an undercurrent (or more) of shame and embarrassment. Very few people were comfortable asking questions, and what questions were asked often set off titters of embarrassed laughter, even though everyone in the audience was likely interested in the answer.

But what if sex ed wasn’t like that? What if there was such high levels of trust and a culture of the value of education, that it was a comfortable educational process? One where you weren’t afraid to ask questions, and to believe the answers?

I’m currently hosting sex ed for both my children. Obviously the younger one isn’t getting the level of education that the older one is. We’re using a bunch of resource books available from the Rochester Public Library, including:

• “Who has what“, by Robie Harris, for preschoolers
• “It’s NOT the Stork“, by Robie Harris, for ages 4+
• “It’s So Amazing!“, by Robie Harris, for ages 7+
• “It’s Perfectly Normal“, by Robie Haris, for ages 10+
• “Girling Up“, by Mayim Bialik
• “Boying Up“, by Mayiam Bialik

Plus “Human Anatomy and Physiology, 4th Edition“, undergraduate textbook by Elaine Marieb, from my undergraduate degree days, for its additional definitions and primarily for its fabulous anatomically correct and detailed diagrams.

Why each of these pieces? Especially given that my oldest is much older than a preschooler?

Well, we’re starting at the “toddler watercolor painting” level for preschoolers to get the basics.

Then we move to the “crayon” level, where diagrams get more complicated, and a new level of complexity is introduced. Then on to “colored pencils”, and “artist” level, before the even-better-than-photographs from a teaching perspective of anatomical medical diagrams.

And when it comes to more of the feelings and experiences level, we’re addressing both the male and the female perspectives, because you can’t understand what you know nothing about, hence the “Boying Up” book.

I’ve gotten out all the different menstraul products we have, as well as showing others we don’t have, and talked about the pros and cons of each.

When we get to the birth control methods, pros and cons of each method, along with reliability, will be discussed. An educational table like this will be invaluable.

But the best thing about going through this process together – for both my kids, there has been zero embarrassment, zero discomfort, only countless questions and answers and learning. It’s pretty amazing to be their mom, knowing we’ve got this wonderful relationship. And I feel more confident that when they run up against a situation they feel uncomfortable with, or uneducated about, that they’ll bring it to me rather than trying to wing it on their own or go along with it without complaint.

But how is this like personal finance?

Imagine having an educational, scaffolded tiered iterative learning, trusting relationship with your financial advisor, where you can ask any question and believe the answer, without embarrassment getting in the way. It’s a nation-wide experience we as a culture would greatly benefit from.