Advice from Parenting Experts
Initiating conversations about the facts of life may be difficult for some parents because they did not grow up in an environment where the subject was discussed.
Some parents may be afraid they do not know the right answers or feel confused about the proper amount of information to offer.
Visit the links below to get advice from the experts on talking to your kids about development, sex, and sexuality.
Topics
Background Info | "The Talk" | Talking With Teens About Contraception and Condoms | TV and the Internet | Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities | Other Important Topics
Background Info
What do I need to know before I talk with my teen?
- Growth and Development
- The Changing Adolescent Brain By Sarah K. Ramowski and Robert J. Nystrom
- Parents and Their Children's Learning about Sexuality By Dr. Michael A. Carrera, The Children's Aid Society
- Ten Tips for Raising Kids with a Healthy Body Image
By Maureen Kelly, Director of Education & Training, Planned Parenthood of Tompkins County
"The Talk"
Getting started, taking on tough conversations.
- Why Sex Education Also Belongs in the Home
By Sol Gordon, PhD
- Talking to Your Kids About, ahem, You Know What (S.E.X)
By Melissa Havard, M.A
- What to Do When They Just Won't Talk!
By Maggi Ruth P. Boyer, M.Ed., A.C.S.E., Consultant
- When Kids Ask Tough Questions about Sex By Jerald Newberry, Executive Director, National Education Association Health Information Network
- Talking With Kids Openly and Honestly About Sexuality By Michael McGee, C.S.T., Vice President of Education and Social Marketing, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
- Grandparents and Other Caregivers as Sex Educators By Barbara Huberman, RN, BSN, MEd, Director of Education and Outreach, Advocates for Youth
- Talking with Boys about Sex By Tom Klaus, Legacy Resource Group
- Talking With Your Child's Teacher About a Sexual Issue By Martha R. Roper, MA in Family Relations. Roper has taught school since 1970. She currently teaches health at Parkway South High School in Manchester, Missouri.
Talking With Teens About Contraception And Condoms
- Can We Talk about Abstinence and Contraception OR Is It a Mixed Message? By Konstance McCaffree, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Center for Education, Sexuality Education Coordinator, Human Sexuality Program, Widener University
- Parents and Teens Talking Together About Contraception By Barbara Huberman, RN, BSN, MEd, Director of Education and Outreach, Advocates for Youth
TV And The Internet
- Using TV as an Ally in Sexuality Education By Elizabeth Schroeder, MSW, Professional Trainer/Consultant
- It's Perfectly Normal In The Age Of The Internet By Robie H. Harris, Children’s Book Author
- A Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety: Sexuality and the Internet By Barbara Huberman, RN, BSN, MEd, Director of Education and Outreach, Advocates for Youth
Developmental And Intellectual Disabilities
- Human Sexuality Education for Students with Special Needs By Liz Sweeney, Special Needs Educator
- Ten Tips for Talking about Sexuality with Your Child Who Has Developmental Disabilities By Lisa Maurer, MS, CFLE, ACSE
Other Important Topics
- Alcohol and Sexual Risk Taking: What Parents Need to Know By Jeanne Blake, President, Family Health Productions and Author, Words Can Work series of booklets
- Sexuality Education and Religion?
By Ann L. Hanson, Minister for Children, Families and Human Sexuality, United Church of Christ
- Ten Tips for Parents of a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Child
By Lisa Maurer, MS, CFLE, ACSE