Sex Education Australia

Back to school for Term 2 soon, but in the meantime, here are some testimonials about our fabulous Living & Growing classroom programs (Prep to Year Six) and parent information evenings from last term.

Have a great weekend everyone!

We always say that books are great resources to support important conversations at home and this series is one we love!

When the average age of exposure to sexually explicit content or po*******hy is so young, concerned parents and carers might rightly ask: what can I do?

A pre-emptive conversation might be something to consider. If you decide to talk to your child about po*******hy/sexual content, you do two very important things.

1. Show your child that you know about this material (which makes it easier for them to come to you when/if they see something).

2. Prove that you can have a conversation about it, which again will make it easier for them to come to you.

Bottom line, we are wanting our children to come to us with any of their concerns and problems and we need to show the way. As parents we are in competition with all the other outside the family influences that our young people increasingly come into contact with, as they grow up.

Our voices need to be strong and loud, and hopefully we get in first; with our ideas, values, expectations. So we can correct, reassure, teach and explain.

Leaving it to chance (that nothing will happen, unlikely in today's society) can be riskier than having a simple chat.

For most children their trusted safe adults are you, their parents/caregivers. But for some, their parents are not safe.

It’s important for children to learn about what makes a trusted safe adult and which types of people these might be, both inside the family and outside.

Talking about this with the young person in your care has a strong protective element as it not only lets them think about who they can go to if they need or want to, but it also sets up a dynamic between trusted, safe adults and children which can have a preventative effect if there is a predator or abuser observing.

One thing we know is that predators test and groom families and adults, just as they test and groom children. Knowing that a parent has a strong, connected relationship with their child will be a deterrent to people who might want to harm that child.

We suggest that you:

1. Define who safe adults are: Explain to your child that trusted adults are people who consistently take care of them and make them feel safe and comfortable. These often include parents, teachers, and close family members. Clarify that not all adults are automatically trustworthy, and they should seek out specific known adults if they need help.

2. Explain how to recognise safe behaviour: Teach children what behaviour they can expect from safe adults. Safe adults should not ask children to keep secrets from their parents, offer gifts in exchange for going somewhere alone, or ask them to disobey their parents. Make sure children understand that a trusted adult will respect their feelings and personal space.

Louis Theroux's documentary on the 'manosphere' has been the topic of discussion in recent days, and here are a couple of links to articles for parents who may want to read more about it (both by the eSafety Commissioner).

Manosphere to man: how talking helps boys resist bad influencers

https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/manosphere-to-man-how-talking-helps-boys-resist-bad-influencers

The manosphere: What it is and what parents and carers need to know

https://www.esafety.gov.au/newsroom/blogs/the-manosphere-what-it-is-and-what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know

The manosphere: What it is and what parents and carers need to know | eSafety Commissioner A new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Louis Theroux puts the manosphere in the spotlight. We break down what it is and how we can support boys and young men to build healthy views of masculinity.

Conversations parents need to have

We love it when we get feedback from schools, especially when it shows we are delivering to the high standards we promise. Schools find that our educators are professional and calm as well as skilled in managing classrooms and maximising learning opportunities for the students. Schools also find our programs well structured, age appropriate and engaging. Can't do better than that!

Thanks to all our fantastic educators. We couldn't do it without you.

We hope everyone is having a good holiday break as we recharge and prepare for Term 4!

*xEducation *xEd *xualityEducation

Does your child need to catch up on their puberty learning? Or do they have puberty down, but need some extra information about more than the basics?

We've been working hard behind the scenes to develop online learning opportunities for parents and caregivers of children 10-12 years of age.

Some parents only want their children to learn the puberty basics, or know that previous learning needs to be revised. That's why we developed Puberty Power Up, a video-learning program which parents and caregivers can purchase for their children to view in the comfort of their own home. This course will suit children who don't know much about puberty, who need to revise their learning or who don’t know anything at all.

Parents can check over the videos, watch the parent/support support videos and read the documentation, and then show the learning videos to their children, or even watch together!

Then, for parents who want to extend their child's learning – or for those families where specific topics are more relevant, such as gender identity or sexuality – we bring you Puberty Plus, a separate program which offers 11 additional topics.

1. S*x & reproduction
2. Body safety
3. Feelings
4. Friendship
5. Consent
6. Po*******hy – it’s not for kids!
7. Feeling good online
8. Crushes & sexual feelings
9. S*xuality (GLBQA)
10. Intersex variation
11. Gender identity

Also delivered as video learning, Puberty Plus is for families who want to expand their child's knowledge and support the conversations at home.

You can go to our website and find the links on the top menu to read more about the courses and see what other families say, or find your way there at the links below:

Puberty Power Up https://www.sexeducationaustralia.com.au/puberty-power-up/

Puberty Plus (11 additional topics) https://www.sexeducationaustralia.com.au/puberty-plus/

We'd love to hear how you get on.

Have a great weekend!

Jenny & Justine

Here at SEA we've been working hard behind the scenes to develop online learning opportunities for parents and caregivers of children 10-12 years of age. We've launched Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus, available at our website.

Some parents only want their children to learn the puberty basics, or for their previous learning to be reinforced. That's why we developed Puberty Power Up, a video-learning program which parents and caregivers can purchase for their children to view in the comfort of their own home.

Parents can check over the videos, watch the support videos and read the documentation, and then show to their children, or even watch together!

Then, for parents who want to extend their child's learning – or for those families where specific topics are more relevant, such as gender identity or sexuality – we bring you Puberty Plus, a separate program which offers 11 additional topics.

Also delivered as video learning, Puberty Plus is for families who want to broaden their child's learning and the conversations at home.

You can go to our website and find the links on the top menu, under Online Course, at sexeducationaustralia.com.au

We'd love to hear how you get on.

And below you'll find how three families have found the two programs:

Lucy (Year 5, 10 years old): ‘I learnt a lot of new stuff and it was easy to understand. I liked watching it at home with my mum.’

From Lucy's mother, Sarah: 'Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus were the perfect way to introduce my 10 year old daughter to many important topics. We were able to take our time, stop and rewatch sections and chat openly about different facts. It was fantastic to be able to have all the information in front us (whilst sitting comfortably on the couch!) and the program has helped ease my daughter's worries about puberty and other, often "embarrassing" topics. Would definitely recommend!'

+

Marcus (Year 6, 11 years old): 'Puberty Plus was good because it has more information than the puberty book I've read. It was easy to go through the lessons because the videos were short and I could watch a little bit at a time. I like how you can choose the areas that you're interested in.

From Marcus's mother, Christine: 'The Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus programs helped to bridge gaps in my son's knowledge of puberty, reproduction, relationships, safety and differences. The information is age-appropriate, clear, concise and easy to navigate. Having watched the videos myself, I now feel more prepared to continue conversations about these topics with my child.'

+

From Jo, mother of Ethan (11 yo): 'As a parent, I’ve been anxious and unsure as to how to have some of these conversations with my 11 year old son. This program is a fabulous educational tool to help us parents with the right language to use and how to properly explain these body changes in a clear and concise manner.

I have read some puberty related books together with my son in the past, but having the videos with someone talking you through all of these new and confusing changes was a much better way to be educated.

I would definitely recommend this to friends as I know I’m not the only parent who finds this a very scary process to go through with their children, not because we don’t want to, but because we want to make sure we’re telling them the appropriate information and not giving them too much detail at the same time in relation to their age.

Thank you – you have simplified a difficult conversation and made it quite simple and dare I say, enjoyable!'

*xEducation *xEd *xualityEducation