Talking about Sexuality with children age 10 and under

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Talking about Sexuality with children age 10 and
under
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Learning Objectives

• To understand the role of parents as primary
  educators for sexuality in the family.
• To develop skills for open and trusting
  parent/child communication of sexuality within
  the value of moral convictions of the family.
• To understand sexuality as a natural part of
  being human.

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Some background

• Adolescent pregnancy rate still high (but has
  dropped in recent years)  
• Adolescent birth control
• One million teenagers become pregnant each year.  

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Some background

• Sexually transmitted diseases is highest among
  the adolescents  
• Most adolescent intercourse takes place in the
  home.
• Pregnant before age 20

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From the beginning

• Age 0-4
• Age 5-8
• Age 9-12

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Age 5-8
Children at this age may

• Play out different sex roles.
• Be very curious
• Have strong same-sex friendships.
• Show strong interest in male/female roles that
  are often stereotyped

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Age 5-8

• Have a basic sexual orientation by this time.
• Have a new awareness of authority figures Compare
  their own situations with those of peers
• Begin to conform with peer group style of dress
  and speech.
• Engage in name-calling and teasing.

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Age 9-12
Children at this age

• Enter puberty
• Become more modest
• Experience emotional swings
• Develop romantic crushes
• Attach importance to same sex friends.

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Age 9-12

• Feel awkward
• Are strongly influenced by peer groups
• Learn society's expectations
• Experiment with sexual language and fantasies.
• Face decisions about sex and drugs.

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Activities Discussion
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Summary
Talking with Children about Sex

• Talking to Your Child About Sex, Mary S. Caderone
  and James Ramey
• Talk Sex (Answers to Questions You Can't Ask Your
  Parents), Sue Johnson
• What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls, OR
  What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys, Lynda
  Madaras
• Life Blood - A New Image for Menstruation,
  Margaret Sheffield
• Almost Grown Up - A Frank and Funny Guide to
  Puberty, Claire Patterson and Lindsay Quilter
• Period, JoAnn Gardner-Loulan, Bonnie Lopez, and
  Marcia Quackenbush
• Talking With Your Child About SexA guide for
  Parents, Channing L. Bete Co., Inc.

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Summary
Books For Children

• The Bare Naked Book, Kathy Stinson
• Outside-In, Clare Smallman and Edwina Riddell
• Did the Sun Shine Before You Were Born?, Sol
  Judith Gordon
• Does AIDS Hurt? Educating Young Children About
  AIDS, M. Quackenbush and S. Villarreal
• Girls Are Girls and Boys are Boys, Sol Gordon