As others on this thread, I may have overstated my point of view. I'm rather conservative with my kids, they are more sheltered than many of their friends. They've never seen any shag-stuff like Austin Powers, and they like pretty good things. Sometimes having an older sibling exposes some kids to more sex stuff earlier, or simply watching movies their parents like too, and I'm not inclined to judge those families simply because my situation is different. Trying to shelter them entirely is a losing battle, trying to be there with them and take things as they come is the best I know to do. Commercials for toys are still the issue in our house.

On one extreme, nudists hope to desensitize, on another, people want to cover up, and shelter their kids, maybe inadvertently mystifying and making sexuality all the more interesting. I'm somewhere in the middle. Kids are hitting puberty earlier, but the age of social maturity gets set back later and later--what is it? around forty? It's a problem.

But although my life has become more settled, I still identify with messed-up kids, feel compelled to defend young slutty girls, on principle, not because it isn't ever sad and hurtful, but because they are just as often good and nice people as anyone else. Maybe more so--but I doubt Maury Povitch ever does shows about kids who are just plain assholes. One thing that always saddens me is to meet bright educated People Who Never Learned Anything They Weren't Supposed To. Next on Maury.

I agree with Susan completely, trying to provide something better is a good thing. I doubt there's anything more true to be said about it.