Grade 5 will be learning about puberty, our bodies, pregnancy, babies, sexually transmitted infections and most importantly, how to make good decisions. I hope that fifth grade parents will have had some input into what the students will be learning. Parents..this page is for you! Your children are naturally very curious and want to know more. It is up to you as a parent to be able to answer their questions honestly, correctly and to put your morals and values on what they have learned.
Talking Tips
Talk with your child early and often. Listen to him or her. Talking and listening are very important but not enough. Be available. It is also important to spend time together and to do things together. Children need to know they can come to you when THEY have a question or want to talk.
Elementary School Age
You can talk about love and relationships with a child as young as six. You don’t tell a six-year-old the details about sex. But you can tell him or her about affection, love, and treating other people with respect. And you can tell your child why he or she should always expect to be treated with respect. When your child is old enough to ask questions, he or she is old enough to receive simple and correct answers.
Middle School Age
When your child is in middle school you can be very clear with him or her. Tell your pre-teen or teen why it is important to make good decisions about sex. Talk to him or her about setting goals for the future. Talk about feelings, relationships, and waiting to have sex. Talk about why waiting until marriage is a healthy choice and why waiting to have sex fits with your values.
High School Age
When your teen gets into high school, keep talking. This can be a time that many parents find particularly challenging to keep the lines of communication open. But keep talking! High school is a critical period during which your child faces many outside pressures and really needs your love, support, and guidance.
During these years, you can get more grown up in what you talk about. Tell them what you think. Ask them what they think. Talk about dating, relationships, values, and self-control. Continue to talk about their goals. Talk about the risks of having sex too young. Make sure your child knows he or she can come to you and talk about anything.
Don’t just talk about sex. Talk about smoking, and drugs and alcohol. Kids who smoke are more likely to use drugs and alcohol. And kids who drink and use drugs are more likely to have sex. Be sure to also talk about the positive happenings in their lives. What things do they enjoy?
The connection between drugs, alcohol, and sex is clear:
* One survey showed that almost 1 out of 4 teens that had sex say they used drugs or drank alcohol the last time they had sex.
* Teens who drink are seven times more likely to have had sexual intercourse than teens who don't drink.
* Teens who use drugs are five times more likely to have had sexual intercourse.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT SEX, YOUR CHILDREN WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX. HERE IS HOW TO HAVE THAT TALK.
Talking about sex is without a doubt one of the most important conversations you will ever have with your children. It is also one of the most difficult. You need to talk with them early and often about why it is so important for them to wait to have sex. But, if you are like most parents, you may not be sure how to have this conversation. Here are some tips.
USE TEACHABLE MOMENTS. Many everyday occurences offer a natural way to ease into a conversation. It may be a scene from a movie or TV show. Perhaps it is a song lyric or a news story. Use these as a conversations starter....What do you think about about what you just saw/heard?
DOLE OUT BITE SIZE BITS. Don't try to cover the whole subject in one sitting. That can be overwhelming for all of you. Toss out small bits of information and opinion at a time. Little by little your child will get the picture, and it avoids the BIG lecture.
KEEP THINGS LIGHT. Talking about sex can be pretty heavy, so lighten up and take a deep breath. Try using a little humor, not to underplay the seriousness of the subject, but to disarm your child's anxiety, and yours as well.
DO NOT PREACH. SHARE. Let your children know how you felt at their age. Don't just talk, ask questions. Make it a two way discussion. Children respond better when they are talked to, not at. Believe it or not, they really want to know how you feel about sex and how you want them to behave. They want you to st some limits for them. Of course, they may never ask you about this, so you need to be brave and take the first step.
You can do this! And of course, you can always call on me for information, questions an moral support.
Talking Tips
Talk with your child early and often. Listen to him or her. Talking and listening are very important but not enough. Be available. It is also important to spend time together and to do things together. Children need to know they can come to you when THEY have a question or want to talk.
Elementary School Age
You can talk about love and relationships with a child as young as six. You don’t tell a six-year-old the details about sex. But you can tell him or her about affection, love, and treating other people with respect. And you can tell your child why he or she should always expect to be treated with respect. When your child is old enough to ask questions, he or she is old enough to receive simple and correct answers.
Middle School Age
When your child is in middle school you can be very clear with him or her. Tell your pre-teen or teen why it is important to make good decisions about sex. Talk to him or her about setting goals for the future. Talk about feelings, relationships, and waiting to have sex. Talk about why waiting until marriage is a healthy choice and why waiting to have sex fits with your values.
High School Age
When your teen gets into high school, keep talking. This can be a time that many parents find particularly challenging to keep the lines of communication open. But keep talking! High school is a critical period during which your child faces many outside pressures and really needs your love, support, and guidance.
During these years, you can get more grown up in what you talk about. Tell them what you think. Ask them what they think. Talk about dating, relationships, values, and self-control. Continue to talk about their goals. Talk about the risks of having sex too young. Make sure your child knows he or she can come to you and talk about anything.
Don’t just talk about sex. Talk about smoking, and drugs and alcohol. Kids who smoke are more likely to use drugs and alcohol. And kids who drink and use drugs are more likely to have sex. Be sure to also talk about the positive happenings in their lives. What things do they enjoy?
The connection between drugs, alcohol, and sex is clear:
* One survey showed that almost 1 out of 4 teens that had sex say they used drugs or drank alcohol the last time they had sex.
* Teens who drink are seven times more likely to have had sexual intercourse than teens who don't drink.
* Teens who use drugs are five times more likely to have had sexual intercourse.
YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT SEX, YOUR CHILDREN WANT TO KNOW ABOUT SEX. HERE IS HOW TO HAVE THAT TALK.
Talking about sex is without a doubt one of the most important conversations you will ever have with your children. It is also one of the most difficult. You need to talk with them early and often about why it is so important for them to wait to have sex. But, if you are like most parents, you may not be sure how to have this conversation. Here are some tips.
USE TEACHABLE MOMENTS. Many everyday occurences offer a natural way to ease into a conversation. It may be a scene from a movie or TV show. Perhaps it is a song lyric or a news story. Use these as a conversations starter....What do you think about about what you just saw/heard?
DOLE OUT BITE SIZE BITS. Don't try to cover the whole subject in one sitting. That can be overwhelming for all of you. Toss out small bits of information and opinion at a time. Little by little your child will get the picture, and it avoids the BIG lecture.
KEEP THINGS LIGHT. Talking about sex can be pretty heavy, so lighten up and take a deep breath. Try using a little humor, not to underplay the seriousness of the subject, but to disarm your child's anxiety, and yours as well.
DO NOT PREACH. SHARE. Let your children know how you felt at their age. Don't just talk, ask questions. Make it a two way discussion. Children respond better when they are talked to, not at. Believe it or not, they really want to know how you feel about sex and how you want them to behave. They want you to st some limits for them. Of course, they may never ask you about this, so you need to be brave and take the first step.
You can do this! And of course, you can always call on me for information, questions an moral support.