Talking to kids about periods, puberty and sex! Post Reply

[headshrinker]

I am doing a little bit of research here and was wondering whether any parents would be interested in outsourcing those more difficult/embarrassing conversations that we need to have with our kids.

I was thinking of offering small group workshops (of up to 10 kids) for different age groups where kids can learn about puberty and sex in a safe space.
I would love to know what people think of this as an idea so if you have 2 mins to spare I have created a very short survey and would love your input: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BKRB5FZ

I would also love to set up some free test sessions to work out timings/content etc so if you can put together a group of kids who would like to give it a go then please message me for more info.

Don’t want to go into too much detail here but age range would be from around 8/9 years old to discuss puberty and basic sex ed, up to around 14/15 covering things in more detail.

I am a qualified Counsellor with an advanced DBS check so kids would be in safe, responsible hands. I believe really strongly that kids need to be armed with good information in order to navigate their teenage years and would love to help that happen.

Any comments/feedback most appreciated.

[supergirl]

Hmmm i think it is a good idea for teenagers whi may not have the opportunity at home to discuss those important topics. As a mother i wouldnt want to "outsource" these topics to someone with my children but if they were asking j may consider it but i would want to know the content of those sessions.

I wonder though what is "basic sex ed" for 8-9 yrs old?

[headshrinker]

I would say that at 8-9 years old it is appropriate to properly explain male/female anatomy and how babies are conceived. It is also really important that girls understand about periods at this age as they are starting them at a younger age.

[headshrinker]

Take on board the concerns about content though. Was planning on being upfront about content and basically providing a very specific list of what would be covered.

[supergirl]

Thank you. I agree with you about 8-9 years old. My children have already started to ask and i have given them answers. I wouldnt want though oursourcing that to someone else though as i see it as my duty to transmit but on the other gand it takes a village to raise a child....

[lemondrizzles]

Funny you post this because I was just looking into something similar but not for kids - but workshops for parents.

[headshrinker]

That's a good idea! Things have really changed since most of us were in our teens. Would heartily recommend doing a bit of research if you are planning on talking to your own kids. I am so happy I went through my teens without social media!

[supergirl]

I am with you lemondrizzle, what a good idea a workshop for parents on those very subjectsand how to talk openly about those to both boys and girls.

[popmama]

I agree with lemondrizzles and supergirl. A workshop for parents on how to talk to their children about these things would be good.

I would certainly want to be the one that talks to my children, I think by 'outsourcing' (as you put it) it could give children the message that parents either aren't qualified or don't know about puberty and I would worry that they wouldn't then come an speak to their parents about any issues. After all everyone goes though it so I believe parents are best placed to do the talking (but maybe with a bit of thought about how best to do it).

[Purple_sage]

I agree with lemondrizzles and supergirl. A workshop for parents on how to talk to their children about these things would be good.

I agree too and would be up for such a workshop for parents instead

[IrenaP]

I agree about training parents - but not just about sex - it's about dealing with the whole gammat of teenage issues and how to support their children through it. I'm thinking sex, drugs, stress etc etc. Perhaps a sort of NCT refresher. How you convince parents that they need to do what effectively a parenting class is a whole other issue.

On the other hand sex needs to be addressed from the time a child is born. It's more of a holistic topic. That's what research from Netherlands shows. It's about correctly naming the body parts, touching, privacy from a very young age and then evolves over time as our understanding of sexuality does. How you address this in a class is beyond me.

In my opinion 8 years old is too late anyway. I learned about 'sex' on the playground age 6 from other kids with older siblings. And that was before the internet age. We had the period discussion in school a few years later which basically opened the door to questions about sex and hygiene. Basically the point is it's not a meeting but an ongoing and evolving conversation so how do you sell that?

[Needcoffeenow]

Whatever you do needs to complement what is covered at school at that age - certainly in state schools sex/puberty education is covered in stages appropriate to the age group and their understanding. If you jump in with something that's gone beyond what is being covered at school or bore the children by repeating what they have already heard the effect is likely to be counterproductive.

[CheekychappieMum]

This webinar on the subject popped into my inbox this morning! I haven't heard it but the topics covered look good......

http://talkingaboutsex.com/summit-opt-in/

Talking to Kids About Sex: 30 TOP Experts
--Create open communication with kids about sexual abuse, ******, sexting, and more!
--Have comfortable, calm conversations.
--Simple steps to protect your child.
--Ensure safe and healthy sexual relationships from the start.
--Tip and strategies you can implement immediately...

...no matter how old your child is.

[sparkletiger]

Ideally parents need to be informed and comfortable talking about sex and relationships. Stuff comes up right from being babies and so it is way more than a one off chat about the birds and the bees. I think parent workshops on this is a great idea. FPA used to (perhaps still do) run a course called Speakeasy. Often it is just having the confidence and being armed with accurate info. knowing that you don't need to know everything, but that you know where to go to find out and having resources for your children to refer to that are appropriate and safe.

FPA produce really great booklets for parents and children. go to http://www.fpa.org.uk. There is something for every age. You can purchase the leaflets, but here are pdfs to check them out.

Primary:
http://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... inting.pdf
http://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... ooklet.pdf

Secondary
http://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... uberty.pdf
http://www.fpa.org.uk/sites/default/fil ... uberty.pdf

[Michelle&India]

Interested definitely- any extra info is never a bad thing

I would love my daughter India to trial out a session please she is 8 and has friends who have already started puberty!!!!