You MUST be involved in this part of your child's life...
Culture and misinformed children will teach your child all sorts of ignorant views of sex and sexuality if you don't get involved. You have the opportunity to shape your child's view of sexuality. Don't avoid it. Don't make excuses. Seize the opportunity. Taking intentional steps to have these conversations with your child lets them know the door is open for future discussions and honesty about what they are being exposed to.
Each video below is about 4 minutes long so it will not take long to get a grasp of where you should be headed with your child. These videos are for you as a parent, not for your child.
You will find resources to equip your conversations and guide you as a parent at the bottom of this page.
Part 1: Why is it so hard to talk about puberty with our kids?
In Part 1, host Jim Daly talks with family counseling expert Danny Huerta and author Jessie Minassian about how to paint sexuality as a beautiful part of God’s plan, which overshadows the counterfeit messages the culture portrays.
Part 2: How early should we start?
In Part 2, Danny Huerta and Jessie Minassian recommend that parents start early — when kids are 4 or 5 years old — talking about the preciousness of the body and how God created us in His image. Sexuality encompasses our whole being — who we are — and not just anatomical parts. By age 7, 8, or 9, your kids are ready to learn about who they are in Christ, along with how their bodies will begin changing before long. In the critical preteen years, Mom and Dad must become the go-to people for questions and knowledge.
Part 3: When do we deal with peer pressure?
In Part 3, Danny Huerta and Jessie Minassian address the moments when parents catch their daughters and sons acting or speaking in ways they haven’t been taught. Fact: preteens pick up ideas, words, and habits from media and other kids. So what now? Be present and ask loving questions. Don’t assume their behavior is willful. Often, there’s something below the surface driving them.
Part 4: Don't fear "the sex talk"
In Part 4, Danny Huerta and Jessie Minassian discuss how to bring humor, affection, and truth to important conversations about God’s design for our bodies, our gender, and sex.
Part 5: How to Use the "Launch Into The Teen Years" Curriculum
In Part 5, Danny Huerta and Jessie Minassian implore moms and dads to embrace this coming season of adolescence. Set up special moments to talk to your preteens about identity, friendships, emotions, sexuality, and more. These are your kids. No one else has the authority to speak into their lives like you do!
Resources to Guide Your Conversations
Focus on the Family
Launch into the Teen Years Kit - this resource is discussed in the videos above. It comes with videos so you don't have to know what to say for each lesson. You watch along with your child and then discuss using the Parent guidebook.
Two ways to get this resource
- Focus on the Family Donation and get the Launch into the Teen Years Kit "free" (Donation of $40 or more)
- Focus on the Family Store
Family Life
Passport 2 Purity Kit - another option. It comes with CDs so you don't have to know what to say for each lesson. You listen along with your child and then discuss and use the Parent guidebook.
Other Parent Resources
YM360 Parent Resource Page - Click Here
Focus on the Family Parent Resource Page - Click Here
Family Life Parent Resource Page - Click Here
Homeword Parent Resource Page - Click Here
Center for Parent and Youth Understanding - cpyu.org
