Birds and Bees

The Birds and the Bees:

Talking with Your Pre-Teen About Sex, Puberty and More

It’s a common lament from parents: “I don’t know where to begin to bring up the subject of sex with my kid. I made some mistakes when I was young, and I don’t want my child to make those same mistakes. But I don’t know what’s right to say for their age. Should I give them a book? Are they too young to hear about sex? And I’m not sure I even understand exactly what chastity means …”

This is where Family Honor comes in.

For the past 30 years, we’ve been bringing parents and their sons and daughters together at parishes in a relaxed and fun atmosphere to talk about sex, chastity, love, dating and more.

We know that those first conversations can be the toughest. You know what we mean.

When you think puberty is going to arrive pretty soon – or perhaps already has …
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty/conditioninfo/symptoms

That’s when Family Honor can really help do some of the ‘heavy lifting’ – through our Changes & Challenges program for you, parents, with your 5th or 6th grader. We present this ‘live’ and in-person at your parish or parish school.

Changes & Challenges is a two-session program, with only parents attending Session 1, so that our presenters can talk to you frankly about child development, the virtue of chastity, and some of the language to use when starting the ‘birds and bees’ conversations. Also, you’re given a preview of Session 2 so you know what to expect. In Session 2, you return with your 5th or 6th grade son or daughter. The dads and sons are in one room and the moms and daughters are in another.

Student participant at recent Changes & Challenges

program at St. Anne and St. Jude parish in Sumter, SC.

Topics covered in Session 2 include developing as a ‘whole’ person and understanding the changes that happen at puberty. For more info: https://familyhonor.org/programs/changes-challenges/

If you can’t get to one of our Changes & Challenges programs, you may also want to order the Spanish or English versions of our Wonder of Me book, available in the Family Honor store: https://familyhonor.org/store/

Whatever you decide, parents, just know that Family Honor is here to serve you. if you’d like some help with that initial ‘Birds and Bees’ talk, give us a call at 803.929.0858 or email us at: info@familyhonor.org     We’d love to hear from you! 

Here’s some additional resources for you and your child: 

Growing Up in God’s Image: A New Approach to the Facts of Life Talk 
https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Gods-Image-Approach/dp/0973673648

Talking to Your Tween About Sex
https://catholicexchange.com/10-tips-for-talking-to-your-tween-about-sex

Puberty Facts
https://www.medicinenet.com/puberty/article.htm#puberty_facts

Early Puberty
https://www.webmd.com/children/news/20121020/earlier-puberty-age-9-10-average-us-boy#2