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Seminar to help parents learn how to have ongoing conversations with their children about sex
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Published: October 1, 2009
Parents may think talking to kids about sex means one awkward conversation during the pre-teen years and then it's done.
But the reality is that discussions about sex need to start at an early age and continue throughout childhood and the teen years, said Traci Lester of Mooresville's Pregnancy Resource Center.
"It's really important for parents to open the doors of communication at a young age," Lester said. "Statistics show that teens say their number one influence about sex and preventing teen pregnancy is their parents. Most parents think that it's their child's friends or the media, but it's not."
To help get those conversations started, the Pregnancy Resource Center is sponsoring a free seminar for parents called "Talking with Your Kids about the Birds and the Bees without the Butterflies."
Lester said she realized several years ago that there is often a "missing link" in sex education — parents — and became inspired to close that gap.
"I can do the groundwork for prevention and teens can use our services after if they become pregnant, but it's not enough," she said. "Teens need a consistent message from their parents, but so many of them are intimidated to talk about sex."
She said she started by speaking with middle school and high school students, but said it felt as though she was doing damage control.
"Kids have just picked up so much by that age and parents really need to start when they're little, not when they're older and mortified that their parents are talking to them about sex," Lester said. "This 'reality check' seminar is practical and will help parents feel empowered as well as let them have the tools to implement at home so the message they want to send will be clear."
She said the seminar will focus on kids from the toddler stage to age 11, sharing with parents what to say at each development stage and how to eventually have "the big talk."
"We're going to have parents evaluate what message they want to send," explained Lester. "Obviously at the Pregnancy Resource Center, we believe that sex is a gift from God to be shared between a husband and a wife, but we discuss all the options and the message has to be consistent between parents."
The seminar will then break down the topics into age groups. For example, ages 3 to 5 focuses on how to discuss boys and girls and how they're different. Ages 5 to 7 discusses pregnancy and prepares parents for "the big question."
"All children have a natural curiosity and if kids see that parents are uncomfortable, they think 'this isn't where I need to go for information' and that's when they ask the other kids on the playground," Lester said.
The seminar will last from 7 pm to 8:30 pm and will be held at the Charles Mack Citizen Center on October 8. Lester asks that potential participants RSVP by calling (704) 664-4673.
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