Inside the Teenage Brain
The Charlotte Observer had an article today about how parents can understand and communicate with their teenagers.
Dr. Kristin Rager, director of adolescent medicine at Levine Children’s Hospital and medical director of Teen Health Connection, works with teens and says “that even though they may act like they want to do the opposite of what parents say, there’s evidence teens are less likely to engage in risky behaviors if parents clearly communicate their expectations and values.”
This is one of the points we stress at our workshops for parents (see Get Talking events). Parents can definitely impact their child’s choices when it comes to sexuality.
Learning is Ongoing
Learning about sexuality is an ongoing process. Each year, sexually healthy families provide a foundation for what is to come. They do it little by little. Of course, parents should not give five-year-olds detailed information about contraceptives, but they can begin by teaching them that every baby needs love and caring and that people can plan the number of children in their families. This sets the stage for later, more in-depth discussions.
“From Diapers to Dating” by Rev. Debra W. Haffner
Lowering Teen Pregnancy
“International evidence suggests that high-quality sex and relationship education that puts sex in its proper context, that starts early enough to make a difference and that gives youngsters the confidence and ability to make well-informed decisions helps young people delay their first sexual experience and leads to lower teenage pregnancy levels.”
- a bipartisan group from the British Parliament is seeking to make sex education compulsory for “children as young as four years old.”
Source: New York Times
Parents Who Talk the Talk
Last week I had a great discussion with Jenn and Rob, parents who recently sat down with their daughter to discuss sexuality with her. They were thankful that they had pushed through their own unease and taken the initiative to start a dialogue. It seems to have brought them all closer and to have laid a foundation for future discussions.
I thought that their experience may encourage other parents.
Q. Can you provide a little background about your daughter (age, interests, why you decided now was the time to talk to her)?
Jenn: Our daughter is 8 ½. She is a bright, curious girl who loves reading, school, roller skating, biking, art, American Girl dolls, and hanging out with friends. My reason for wanting to talk to her about sex was because she was starting to hang out with some older friends and I just know by the friends’ age they are more informed –most of the time inaccurately. I wanted to be the one that told her the truth and basically “open the door” to communication. I learned about sex from other kids and late night cable and that was kind of scary. I wanted her to learn in a safe and nurturing way.
Rob: I wanted to insure she was comfortable in talking with Jenn and I about this subject. My parents didn’t talk about sex with me, so I learned on the street basically and I want to insure that Ashley can learn it at her own pace and be more informed by us then just learning from her friends.
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Let’s Talk Billboards in NC
October is “Let’s Talk” Month, a month long campaign to encourage parents to speak openly and honestly with their children about sex before children engage in risky behaviors. As part of this campaign, the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association has donated 12 billboards across the state to display a newly designed billboard by graphic designer and artist Vanessa DeJongh.
A press reception to unveil APPCNC’s new “Let’s Talk about Sex Month” billboard design and to provide the press with a quick primer on teen pregnancy will be held at the Fairway Outdoor Advertising’s Triangle East office, located at 508 Capital Blvd. in Raleigh at 10 am on October 8, 2008.
The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC) is a nonpartisan non-profit that works with health workers and those who work with teens to prevent teen pregnancy and promote better teen parenting skills. Its services include training, resources, advocacy and information as well as community mobilization. Its services are available to all 100 counties in North Carolina.
HIV Among Young People
In case you needed another reason to talk to your kids about sex, HIV and AIDS are on the rise among American young people.
The US Office of National AIDS Policy has estimated that half of all new HIV
infections occur in people younger than 25 and that half of these occur among
young people between the ages of 13 and 21.
This is a sobering statistic, but one that isn’t widely publicized.
Check Our Events Calendar!
Becky Knight MPH of Sensovi Institute will be offering several workshops for parents next month, in coordination with “Let’s Talk Month.” Check our EVENTS page for more details!
Fact of the Day
Fact of the Day via Advocates for Youth’s website:
A significantly greater percentage of Latino teens than African
American teens report discussing at least two sex-related
topics—HIV/AIDS and choosing a sex partner—with their father. Latino
teens are also twice as likely as African American teens to discuss
choosing a sex partner with their mother.
“That is a good question.”
“If a child asks a question about sex, the only appropriate response for a parent is — ‘that is a good question,’ and then proceed to answer it. Parents are the main sex educators of their children, whether they like it or not. If they want to be ‘askable,’ they must be prepared for any question or incident that involves their children’s sexuality. Parents must convey to their children that nothing that ever happens to them will be made worse by talking about it to the parents, and the best first response is — ‘I’m so glad you are able to talk to me about this.”
– Sol Gordon (sexuality educator, author, and former director of Syracuse University’s Family Research and Education)
