What is an Approachable Parent?

An Approachable Parent is a parent who is comfortable with sexuality and sexual health issues and who is open to communicating openly and honestly with their child. An approachable parent is a parent who is self-aware and believes in taking a preventative rather than a reactive approach to sexual health education.

The Approachable Parent workshop is a 2 hour workshop available to parent groups. Parents have the opportunity to explore the concept of healthy sexuality and become more comfortable discussing sexuality with their youth.

Based on the work of the legendary Meg Hickling, the workshop emphasizes the importance of parents as the primary sexuality educator for their children and provides strategies to support parents in this role. Several areas of sexual health are covered including:

  • The five stages of childhood sexual development (0-18 years) & what youth should know at each stage

  • Teaching tips and specific examples of ways to explain bodies & body processes

  • Strategies for answering the tough questions youth ask

  • Tips for incorporating family values, beliefs, religion, and culture into sexuality education

  • Resources for parents to review and information to take home

  • Ideas for using popular culture and media as a teaching tool

5 Reasons to be an Approachable Parent

Health

Youth need to know about the straightforward science of their bodies to stay healthy and to make positive choices.

Prevent Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Research shows that young children & youth who have been educated about sexual health are less likely to be sexually abused or exploited (i.e. know the correct names for body parts, public vs. private behaviours, that sex is a consensual activity only, setting boundaries, etc.)

Sex Education Does Not Mean Sex Experimentation.

Research shows that sexually educated youth delay sex experimentation by 4 years or longer as compared to their uneducated peers.

Knowledge is Power!

Sexually educated youth have lower rates of STI’s and un-planned pregnancies than their uneducated peers.

Foster a Relationship with your Children for Discussing All Sensitive Issues.

Children and youth want to feel that their parents are APPROACHABLE and ASKABLE about all the tough issues in their lives.

Helpful Websites

www.islandsexualhealth.org

www.sexualityandu.ca

Www.talkingwithkids.org

www.sieccan.org

Last modified: Thursday, 21 June 2012, 3:45 PM