Sex Ed 101

Today, I'm sitting around with the first graders, watching them put their number tiles in order, and not paying too close attention to the chatter all around me. Something though, jumps out at me, "and then they took their pants off in the tree and they were making love". The rest of my math lesson plan was abandoned as I tried to figure out exactly what had happened and how to deal with it.

We talked about how there are certain body parts we don't show to anyone, nor do we ask anyone to show them to us. I told them that if anyone tries to touch or look at those body parts, or they see any children doing that, then they need to tell a teacher right away. We talked about how there are some things kids can do by themselves (like playing and coloring), some things they need a grown up to help with (crossing the road and cooking) and some things they can't do at all (driving a car and well, making love) and how those limits are there to keep them safe.

That was not a lesson I had planned on teaching today. I'm still trying to figure out how to teach VERY sexually aware first graders what is and isn't appropriate behavior in a way that is age appropriate, but acknowledges they know way more than I did at their age. Any suggestions?