Health Lesson

Both groups had a very productive and informative health lesson today! The kids had lots of really excellent questions. Some we were able to address and answer, others that we could not. I encourage each and every parent to sit down with their children at some point this weekend and talk about the things addressed in the lesson, and also discuss with them the human sexual reproductive system. The reproduction process and sexual activity were not directly addressed in the lesson, as the focus was more on changes in the body that occur during puberty and also on the increased need for hygiene during this period of their lives.

But the kids surely left with a lot of questions still on their mind pertaining to the areas not covered in the lesson. It's very important that children are well informed going into middle school so that they make wise choices as they progress through puberty.

Some tips that may help:

• Let your child lead the discussion. They'll have plenty of questions. Let their questions lead the way.
• Answer honestly! Give them the honest, truthful, scientific explanations. When they understand how and why things work in the human body, they will be less likely to be self-conscious about the changes that are happening to them.
• If you don't know the answer, tell them you don't know! Most of you aren't scientists or doctors, so it's perfectly okay to not know the answer to a question your child asks you! Tell them honestly that you don't know the answer - and then take it to the next step and do some research with your child to find the answer! If you still can't find the answer, there's nothing wrong with asking someone else who might!
  
• Encourage an open dialogue. Your kids will continue to have questions throughout the next several years as their bodies continue to change. Let them know that they can always come to you and ask you about them. If parents act embarrassed, creeped out, or even angry when a child asks questions, the child will stop asking questions and will go forward in life without having the proper knowledge needed to make wise choices.