“Let’s Talk… These are two very simple words, but for many parents, they are not so simple when the rest of the sentence is …about sex.”
While it may be uncomfortable, research continues to show that children/teens want to receive information about sexual health from their parents. The simple fact is that parents have an enormous influence on their children’s decisions about sex and other risk-taking behaviors—more than friends, the media, or teachers!
So if the kids want to talk… how does a parent get started???
Attend a “Let’s Talk” session and also refer to back panel for some helpful hints provided by the Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention and Parenting; www.moappp.org
Next Event: Teens Tell It Like It Is: Part 2
A follow-up to our last event with more question and answer time! We will have a panel of Project for Teens members with their coordinator, Kate Cox and Dr. Chaun Cox, MD. They will give their perspectives on what teens in Mankato are facing and honestly answer the questions you have about talking to the teens in your life.
Monday, April 23rd from 6:30-8:00 pm at South Central College.
Project Description:
The “big talk” – the thought of it can make parents uneasy and children cringe. As in ages past, parents continue to be uncomfortable and uncertain when it comes to sharing information with their children about sex. This challenge is amplified in today’s hypersexualized culture where parents struggle to help children navigate territory that is constantly changing and many times toxic to their child’s health and well-being. Even so, when it comes to young people’s decisions about sex, parents matter a lot. According to research conducted by the National Organization to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (With One Voice 2007, www.teenpregnancy.org ), most teens agree that it is easier for them to postpone sexual activity and teen pregnancy when they are able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents. Parents admit they need help discussing sex with their kids, and teens agree. The vast majority of parents (82%) and two-thirds of teens (66%) agree that when it comes to talking about sex, parents often don’t know what to say, how to say it, or when to start the conversation. Many parents are also surprised to learn that teens say it is parents that influence their decisions about sex more than anyone else – including friends, siblings, religious leaders, teachers, and the media. Research studies also confirm that teens that report feeling closely connected to parents are more likely to abstain from sex, wait until they are older to begin having sex, and have fewer sexual partners.
One of CHAP’s primary endeavors in our community is to engage, educate and support parents in efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and youth risk behaviors. On the “home front”, CHAP seeks to help families lay a foundation of positive connection and communication. The cornerstone of this foundation is the notion that the “big talk” is not a one-time visit, but an on-going conversation that begins early in a child’s life and continues through the teen years. For the past eight years, CHAP has sponsored a “Let’s Talk” education/support series designed to help parents begin and continue conversations and connections that promote healthy child development and respectful/responsible decision-making. Local health professionals, along with Mankato Area Public School guidance counselors have been involved as facilitators of the “Let’s Talk” sessions. Each session of this four-part series shares information about specific stages of child development, beginning in early childhood and continuing through the teen years, and addresses questions/concerns parents bring related to their child’s or family’s experience.
Specific goals of this project:
CHAP would like to build upon the efforts and outcomes of the “Let’s Talk” series by developing a website link with families in our community and providing quarterly e-communications. The purpose of these communications would be to: provide ongoing information and support to reinforce healthy parent-child connections and communications; provide regular CHAP and community updates; share medically accurate health and resource information; provide opportunities to hear from local “experts” regarding parenting questions/concerns; and build a network of mutual support and action to promote healthy youth in our community.