Where did you get your information?

Think for one minute…..where and when did you have your introduction to the “facts of life”?

I know exactly how I received my introduction to all things “sexual”. My girlfriend and I had a book (if you could call it that). Her older sister had purchased it and my friend hid it under her bed. We took that book to the beach with us over and over. As we pored over the pages with our heads practically touching, giggling and gasping in shock, we were introduced to sex in the most base, male oriented (or dominated) way possible. The skewed knowledge that we gained that summer stayed with us as we became the authorities for our equally clueless girlfriends. 

While your early sex-ed lessons might have been slightly more progressive than mine, I am guessing that many of you attended a girls-only fifth or sixth grade lesson at which time you learned about menstrual periods, female anatomy, and not much more. 

Did anyone discuss values, self-respect, protection?  I doubt it. 

You want your children to learn not only the basic facts of puberty education, but also the values that you as a parent or guardian wish to instill. 

By beginning your puberty education well before your children reach the age when the changes begin, you will be on your way to ensuring a healthy and confident adolescent. 

In my next blog, I will discuss the first and most basic step in educating your child.