Let's Talk Month is a national public education campaign celebrated in October and coordinated by Advocates for Youth. Let's Talk Month is an opportunity for community agencies, religious institutions, businesses, schools, media, parent groups and health providers to plan programs that encourage parent/child communication about healthy relationships and sexuality.
Parents are the best educators for their children. And while they want to be good educators, many parents may not understand how to do the job well, especially when it comes to discussing healthy relationships and sexuality. These conversations are important. Recent statistics show that while teen pregnancy rates are decreasing, sexually transmitted infection rates among teens are increasing.
What you can do
Data show parents are still the number one influence in their child’s life. Talk to your children often and set the tone early. The easiest time to send a signal of being “askable” is when they are very young. This can mean explaining to a toddler why his/her body is different from their brother or sister. It can also mean helping them understand what healthy friendships, and eventually healthy relationships, are and what they are not. For those parents who have not had an early chat with their now pre-teen children, it’s not too late. Start by discussing an event in the news or TV. Ask your pre-teen’s opinion about it. Share yours. At some point in the conversation say very clearly, “You know we haven’t talked about this kind of stuff much before, but I want to change that”.
Need more ideas? Visit Mybodymyfuture.com for a variety of tips.
