PARENT WORKSHOPS: How do i talk to my kids about...
We are excited to offer two workshops to help parents communicate better with their children about sexual health and sexuality. We currently offer these workshops at various sites throughout Contra Costa County Email Program Director Jenn Guitart for more information.
Workshop I: How to Talk to Your Kids About Sex
As our kids approach puberty, many of us parents know we need to start having "the talk." We may even know that one "talk" should in fact be an ongoing dialogue with our children. But many of us also feel shy and ill-equipped to navigate this discussion. This stuff is hard!
But it's also so important: According to the 2010 With One Voice survey, 80% of teens believed it would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversation with their parents about these topics. Their opinion is backed by research, which shows that when parents are comfortable communicating with their children about sexuality, they have a beneficial impact on their children's sexual decision-making.
Parents are often anxious about addressing the topic of sexuality with their children, recognizing the need to do so but not knowing how, or what to say. As a result, they are thirsty for opportunities to gain information and skills for discussing this challenging subject.
We are currently offering this workshop in Contra Costa County, at various locations. The workshops will serve a dual purpose: to educate parents so they are more comfortable talking about sex with their children in the home; and to inform them about the problems with sex education in their schools and encourage them to become involved in our advocacy efforts.
Workshop II: How to Talk to Your Kids About Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
BACHE is developing a second workshop in our “How Do I Talk to My Kids about…” series. This workshop will help parents understand how gender identity and sexual orientation impact their kids and how they can support their youth as they become aware of their own identity. Parents will also learn how their behaviors, comments and reaction to their youth, especially if they are gay, lesbian or transgendered, can influence risk-taking and unhealthy behaviors. This workshop is developed around the work of the Family Acceptance Project and supported by a grant from the Contra Costa LGBTQ Youth Advocacy Collaborative.
If you would like additional information or would like to participate in a workshop contact us at jenn@bacheinfo.org
