Sexual Education is a source of stress for educators and parents. I will be spending the next few months writing blogs on this topic on my teen page, which will be beneficial for you to read, as well. Sexual Education doesn't start at puberty. Your reaction to your baby playing with his penis or her vulva is educating your child. As is your view of playing "doctor" or teaching your child about "safe" touches in pre-school. Sexual Education doesn't end in high school, as many young adults will more actively explore their sexuality at university. They could also face circumstances, like walking across a campus at night or going to large parties where vulnerability sometimes becomes very real. Perhaps they see friends involved in abusive relationships. They might directly enter the work force and find themselves facing sexual harassment. Your role in this challenging area of development is an important one. Ensuring your kids have a number of adults you all trust is key. Sadly, they will not always go to you, even if you are typically their biggest ally and confidant.
 | In each blog on the teen page, I will provide links that I have used while teaching Sexual Education. They are links you can trust to be informative and appropriate. I'm trained as an International School Counselor so I'm very aware that some topics are taboo in various cultures. I'm not going to avoid these topics because I'm trying to provide a safe link to help teens to be informed. I have taught this topic for 20 years and I have heard from teens in every place I've lived that if their parents don't talk to them or they are too embarrassed to talk to their parents, they try to find answers on the Internet and by watching pornography. As an example, go to Google images and type "porn teens psychology" and see what pops up if your child was trying to find out if watching porn is a problem. Even if kids aren't actively seeking out porn or information about sex, you'd be surprised what pops up as advertisements while they are playing games online or watching video clips. I hope the teen blogs provide you with an avenue to start discussions. Get that conversation going about which adults you trust to provide confidential, accurate information without judgment. |
Feel free to send me links you find educational and helpful and I'll try to incorporate them in my blogs. Contact me if you need a Skype session to develop your Sexual Education program in school or if you need help planning a talk with your child.
Image:
Parker, Imogen. "Young People, Sex and Relationships: The New Norms." IPPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
Parker, Imogen. "Young People, Sex and Relationships: The New Norms." IPPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.
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