IT’S ALL
CHANGING
SO FAST
Your child, your connection to them, the sex ed landscape
Outspoken is keeping track. Sign up to our fortnightly fix of the latest news stories, advice & inspiration to start the sex ed conversation and keep it alive…
With thanks to Yoan Reed, director of Teaching Lifeskills and Outspoken
RELATIONSHIPS & SEX EDUCATION (RSE)
FREE HOMESCHOOLING LESSONS
These days parents are getting more used to homeschooling. See this as a great opportunity to teach your child about sex & relationships your way. You are your child’s primary educator!
Add relationships & sex education (RSE) to your schedule with these short sessions on bodies, babies, consent & more…
NEWS YOU CAN USE
How girls are given messages about their looks
“Mums fear their daughters are becoming consumed by their looks, often copying stars they see online or on TV. It’s not just celeb culture but also how our image-driven society praises girls, and not boys, for their looks. Francesca Mallen of campaign group Let Clothes Be Clothes warns parents not to call their daughter ‘beautiful’ while referring to their son as ‘brave’ or ‘smart’, as this places emphasis on girls’ appearance over anything else. She asked: ‘What message are you sending to children? If you aren’t prepared to say “you are beautiful” to a boy, then why do you feel compelled to say it to a little girl?’”
Girls as young as FOUR are body-obsessed, worried about “big bellies” – and their horrified mums feel powerless to help (The Sun, 4/8/20)
MAYDAY MOMENTS
“Can I have this?”
Your 3-year-old comes out of the bathroom wanting to play with a tampon
What do you say?
TIPS BY TOPIC
Browse information, advice and resources on every topic under the sex & relationships sun
Making babies, puberty before it hits and
teenage development
Seeking out healthy, respectful relationships from childhood on
Knowing what you like
and being able to tell others what you want
The impact of porn on kids’ attitudes & behaviour and navigating sexting
Becoming who you are
and accepting others’ sexual identity
Critical thinking and resilience in the face of limiting stereotypes
TIPS BY AGE
Whether your child is into Transformers or texting, age-specific help is at hand
Introducing
Learning
Preparing
What is age appropriate? Click here to read about the “life course approach”
Mother Pukka founder Anna Whitehouse
“The best support and protection parents can offer young people is ensuring they have all the information they need to make decisions about their health, body, sexual exploration and emotions – which is what Outspoken is all about”
Sara Pascoe – comedian, author and member of Outspoken Advisory Board
”As a parent I felt enabled and empowered to have age-and-stage appropriate conversations with my children after the Outspoken Sex Ed workshop. This suddenly felt like a challenge I could take on with gusto rather than shying away from”
Dr Pooky Knightsmith – child and adolescent mental-health expert and author
“This is wonderful work and very much needed”
Dr Naomi Sutton – NHS sexual-health consultant on E4’s The Sex Clinic
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