Mom, when did you...?

Wednesday, September 26 2007 | Send to a friend

"Mom, when did you…"

Annie and Ericka Lutz

A Congressional study shows that teens who are presently sexually active reported having sex for the first time when they were about 15 years old.

Ericka Lutz is the Senior Editor of the online magazine Literary Mama. Her daughter, Annie, is just months away from turning 15. After Annie's 8th grade sex education class, she had a question that only her mother could answer. Over dinner, Annie asked her mother: "How old were you when you first had sex?"

Annie stammered through her question. Ericka then took a deep breath, finished her daughter's question, and answered it, truthfully.

Dick Gordon talks to Ericka about why she decided to share the story of her first sexual experience with her daughter. Annie also tells Dick why it's so important for her to be able to talk to her mother about sex.

• Read Ericka's Column, Truth. Parenting. Sex. Ouch.
• Learn more about Annie's Sex Ed class
• Visit Ericka Lutz's website

Horse and Buggy

Chuck Fister and his daughter, Sarah Fister Gale

Sarah Fister Gale wrote to The Story to tell us about her dad.

He grew up in Millville, Minnesota, population less than 300, in the 30s and 40s. Back then they still had outhouses, and his father, the postman, drove a horse and sleigh in the winter. My dad loves to tell stories about picking wildflowers in the spring on the bluff behind his town, or catching frogs in the river that snakes through the town. My favorite story, however, is the day he went to a friend’s farm after school. He was probably nine years old and the Swanson boys (I may have the names wrong) thought it would be fun to steal their dad’s horse and buggy and take it for a joy ride.

Sarah's dad, Chuck Fister, joins Dick to tell the story.

• See a photo of Chuck and the town he grew up in, Millville, Minn.