The importance of sex education at a primary level is often underrated and not all parents find it comfortable to discuss the topic with their kids. The taboos revolving around sex still persist to a great extent. If we speak of India alone, 71 percent of the youth, in the age group of 13 to 30 years, living across 17 states, reported that their parents or teachers never taught them about sexuality. Former Miss Universe and Bollywood star Sushmita Sen, in a recent conversation with Rhea Chakraborty, emphasized the importance of sex education and why it is “very important to talk to your children - boys and girls, about sex.” Read to know more.

Sushmita Sen’s Motherhood Journey

As an actor, Sushmita Sen is quite grounded and humble, but when it comes to being a single mother to her adopted daughters, she takes utmost pride in the role and never misses a chance to amaze us with her parenting skills. From bagging Miss Universe Title to her phenomenal work in Bollywood and now acing motherhood she really deserves a pat on her back, as she said in one of her interviews, 'I want to give myself a pat on my back as a mother.'

Renee And Alisah’s Adoption

Sushmita Sen has two beautiful and talented daughters. The elder one is Renee Sen, whom she adopted in 2000, when she was about 24 years old and Alisah Sen, whom she adopted in 2010, when she was 34. While Sushmita was time and again questioned by people for her decision, she has always been clear that it was the best decision of her life. 

"Renee was born from my heart when I was just 24 years old. It was a big decision!! Many questioned it. Why adoption? How will you raise a child without being married? Are you ready to be a single parent? You realise the impact this decision will have on your professional & personal life? The questioning & opinions were endless…" she shared in a post.

“And yet, I did what felt right in my heart. I knew I was ready to be a mother. And it turned out to be the best decision I ever made, one so profound…I made it twice!! Now I am blessed with two beautiful daughters: Renee and Alisah. I am who I am because I found the courage to follow my heart…seeking the right guidance, information & support that was needed when I needed it. I know these biases haven’t really stopped. But they shouldn’t stop you. This is a reminder to talk about them. Find YOUR answer.” she further added.

How Sushmita Talks To Kids About Sex Education

In her conversation with Rhea Chakraborty, Sushmita shared how she talks to her daughters about sex. "The act of sex, I did not have to explain (to my daughters). They're already PhDs, all of them are. My younger one is into biology. So, she will get into terms, and I am like, ‘Okay, can we please keep it very generic? We don't have to discuss the technicalities of it.'"

She further elaborated, "You can explore yourself and your desires, there is no problem with that. But, in the end, it should not make you feel bad. That is very important. And, don't do it because someone told you, there was peer pressure, there was friends' pressure. Nothing, you have to do because you want. The day you do something that you don't want to, you are already on the wrong path. So whenever you are ready, you want to do something, do it. Do not lie to me.”

What is your take on sex education and do you plan to talk to your kids about it someday? We’d love to hear from you.