Tea,Teens and Consent

Tea! I love it. I drink rather a lot of it. If you are a regular reader, you'll know how important tea is to me. If it snows, I'll panic buy tea bags. If I've run out of milk, I'll drink it black. If I'm bored, I'll put the kettle on. I really am a complete and utter tea addict.

I also love having visitors and, being the good English Rose I am, I always offer tea to my guests, or the other stuff, you know, from the dark side...coffee (which in my opinion should never be drunk, but instead used to make cake). However, offering tea has become a tad awkward of late.

Allow me to enlighten you a little. I have teenagers (well a teen and a tween, not to mention the hoards of friends), so to my fellow teen parents, this 'tea saga' may well be all too familiar to you. For those of you with little ones, take note, around year 9 of secondary school, your now sweet, innocent baby who serves you imaginary tea in tiny toy tea set cups, will suddenly find tea the most amusing, giggle inducing beverage, ever to grace the Earth.

Oh, I know what you're thinking, how? How is tea so amusing? Well let me tell you, when you combine it with a couple of stick people, make a video, and if you happen to be 13 or 14 years old, it really is hysterical. You see, around this age they're learning all about pro-creation, whether you like it or not, and that includes learning what consent actually means. This is important, very important, and this is also where the tea comes in.

Enter the stick person (and his friend, who is also a stick person) and a talk about offering and serving tea. I've watched this clip a few times and rather than me trying to tell you all about it, how about you just click on this link. Might I suggest you pop the kettle on first and enjoy a cuppa whilst watching it; just try not to spit your tea out whilst you're literally laughing out loud, tea and laptops do not mix!

So, having watched the clip (you did watch it, didn't you, otherwise this post will make no sense at all), you will understand why, when I offer tea to anyone visiting my home it is met with a fit of uncontrollable giggles and a fair bit of innuendo. It is a brilliant clip, and for the age group it is aimed at, it really does get this very important message across, but did the makers consider what they were doing to my favourite drink? My poor, innocent cuppa, is now and forever going to be a bit of a saucy beverage. That said, if my teen understands what consent is, then I can live with a few giggles, it really is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.


Useful Links:

Talking to your teenager about sex  NHS LiveWell

What your child learns in school and when BBC

What is CSE and how to protect your child CSE Awareness Day