Schools
The Sex Talk
Join the discussion! This week, sixth grade teacher Dana Tomlinson, who teaches Sex Ed., shares advice with parents about talking to their children about sex.
Welcome to the second installment of Moms Talk (the name notwithstanding, dads, grandparents, expecting parents and even people with no kids are welcome and encouraged to contribute).
We'll have a new topic each Wednesday. Please feel free to share your thoughts and use this new feature as a way to connect with other moms in the community.
If you have a question you want to add to the forum, e-mail it to louisbohanreports@gmail.com with "Moms Talk" in the subject line.
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Here's today's topic:
It’s that time of year if you have a sixth grader at home: reproductive education, sex education, social hygiene – whatever your school calls it, it’s right around the corner. YIKES!!
Most parents have a certain amount (okay, a huge amount!) of difficulty having “the talk” with their children about sex, however, having open communication with your children about everything, including sex, has proven to help kids have a healthy idea about sex, and not discussing it is doing a disservice to them. Kids are curious and will find the information out from sources that are not necessarily healthy or correct – better they should get the information from you, their primary teacher!
Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Some helpful hints to help you help your kids:
- Be available, open, non-judgmental and answer questions as honestly as possible.
- Be matter-of-fact (try your darnedest to hide your embarrassment).
- Don’t wait until they ask – bring up the subject when it’s appropriate (when you see something on TV, or hear a comment made).
- Educate yourself and use age-appropriate materials to help out with your kids (one I’ve used with my girls since they were about 9 is It’s So Amazing by Robie H. Harris).
- Keep talking about it. Education about sex is an ongoing endeavor and kids will need to hear this information, like all learning, many times for it to be truly understood.
So, the next time your child comes to you with a question like, “Mommy, where do babies come from?” take a deep breath, swallow your discomfort and sit down with your child to give them an explanation that they can understand, which will help them also know that you are available any time for them.
Click here for more info from Planned Parenthood
Contributor Dana Tomlinson has been married for 22 years, has 2 girls, Chelsea, 16, and Tori, 19, and has been a teacher at Emory Elementary in the SBUSD for 22 years, mostly teaching 6th grade, which includes a sex education curriculum.
