Sexual innuendos everywhere

The “Hot Kiss” tag on my six-year-old’s new pair of jeans offered a “teachable moment,” apparently.

I thought of the tag as I read today’s Lifestyle cover story about the need for parents to talk sooner and more often with their kids about sex and sexuality.

A recent study published in this month’s issue of Pediatrics revealed that 40 percent of teens and tweens surveyed were already sexually active by the time parents had “the talk.”

Scary, yes. Something I’d rather not think too much about as a mom of five young girls, yes. A wake-up call, definitely.

Instead of avoiding the topic, parents should see discussions about sex as “positive opportunities,” experts say.

Innuendos are everywhere. On the radio, the television, even on a pair of jeans.

Use them to share values with children as they grow, as opposed to sitting them down one day for “the talk,” experts say.

I understand the advice. I get it. But that doesn’t make implementing it any easier.

I probably wouldn’t have noticed the large pink tag, complete with sparkles and a hook to reel in my girly-girl of a daughter, if she hadn’t wanted to attach it to her kindergarten back-pack.

Why they would put “Hot Kiss” on a pair of kid-sized jeans escapes me.

Why I would want to cover the “Hot” portion of the tag with a black permanent marker escaped my daughter.

She was determined to attach that frilly thing to her bag.

So I found myself trying to explain to her the meaning of “Hot Kiss” and why it probably wasn’t an appropriate message to be bringing with her to kindergarten. Perhaps I made too big a deal out of it? Perhaps I should have just left “Hot” on the label?

You see, these are the moments I think they were talking about when they suggested “parents should consider their approach and values before those situations arise.” If only you could predict some of these situations.

I’m not sure I ever really fully explained the definition of a “hot kiss.” I’m not sure at 6, she needed to hear it.