Sorry, that was partially my bad. The purpose of the “What’s sex?” part was to illustrate that this was a younger child. (In my mind these were all preschoolers in the examples). I didn’t consider that people might read that to mean that I don’t think sex should be discussed truthfully with children. I do! But at a certain age, and in the right context (NOT in the context of parents discussing their own sexcapades.)
IMO: Traditions or not, the role of a child doesn’t “by default” include any script for interaction, even as an unwilling observer, with the parents’ sex life. A child simply wouldn’t be sure how to process and break down something they see or hear from it. People instinctively appear to see familial and sexual intimacy as two separate kinds of bonds, and the mind-screw that comes with mixing them might be one of the reasons for having incest fantasies. Such a mind-screw could easily be discomforting/unpleasant in everyday contexts!
Traditions or not, the role of a child doesn’t “by default” include any script for interaction, even as an unwilling observer, with the parents’ sex life.
Why should a child have a predefined role or script?
People instinctively appear to see familial and sexual intimacy as two separate kinds of bonds, and the mind-screw that comes with mixing them might be one of the reasons for having incest fantasies. Such a mind-screw could easily be discomforting/unpleasant in everyday contexts!
People also instinctively appear to see men and women as two different kinds of people.
Sorry, that was partially my bad. The purpose of the “What’s sex?” part was to illustrate that this was a younger child. (In my mind these were all preschoolers in the examples). I didn’t consider that people might read that to mean that I don’t think sex should be discussed truthfully with children. I do! But at a certain age, and in the right context (NOT in the context of parents discussing their own sexcapades.)
Why? Can you justify this without appealing to the traditions about sex and gender that you’ve just been arguing against?
IMO:
Traditions or not, the role of a child doesn’t “by default” include any script for interaction, even as an unwilling observer, with the parents’ sex life. A child simply wouldn’t be sure how to process and break down something they see or hear from it.
People instinctively appear to see familial and sexual intimacy as two separate kinds of bonds, and the mind-screw that comes with mixing them might be one of the reasons for having incest fantasies. Such a mind-screw could easily be discomforting/unpleasant in everyday contexts!
Why should a child have a predefined role or script?
People also instinctively appear to see men and women as two different kinds of people.