An advertisement posted on Childcare.co.uk seems to indicate that parents no longer trust schools to educate their children when it comes to topics like gender and sex.
In the posting, parents sought to find someone willing to cover "Sex with both genders, Other gender types, including transgender and non-binary, Sexual protection – the pill, condoms, abstinence, Explanation of male and female anatomy, and Pregnancy."
The ad goes on to say, "I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask for this kind of help, but here goes. My husband and I are looking to hire someone to give our 8-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son the 'talk'."
"Like most parents, we were hoping we would have more time before this became a problem; ideally, I’d avoid it altogether! But we’re at the point now where they aren’t satisfied with the answer we’re giving them.
"I don’t trust the school to do a proper job teaching either of our children about the complexities of puberty, intimacy, and consent which is why we’re looking for someone to handle this for us.
"All sessions will be at our home at a time when one, or both of us can be in the house. We will not be in the room with you but will be home so the children can come and find us if it’s getting too much for them."
The ad also describes the "ideal candidate" as being able to talk about sex between two people who are in love, STIs, sexual protection and periods - for both their eight-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son.
It goes on to say they will also need to cover the topic of consent, and "possible discussion of rape culture" for six sessions spread across once a week.
The founder of Childcare.co.uk, Richard Conway, said, "Having 'the talk' is a rite of passage for any parent and their children, but it can be a difficult conversation to have, even for the closest of families. These parents are clearly willing to pay handsomely to make sure the sex talk is handled in the best way possible."
It can be difficult for any parent to admit they need help, but I’m sure these parents will be able to find someone in our community of 500,000 childcare professionals to help them. Especially as they’re willing to be flexible and appear very open to guidance. We wish them the best of luck in their search."
Traditionally, sex education is offered in UK schools as "Sex and Relationship Education", or SRE. Recently, controversy across England has made the topic of teaching children about trans and gender identity a difficult one.
Related coverage: <a href="http://www.thegoldwater.com/news/19616-Which-14-year-old-would-say-no-to-this-science-teacher">Which 14-year-old would say no to this science teacher?</a>
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