sex education australia

Justine and Jenny look at friendships. As Justine says in the episode: As a parent, as a human, we've got to really think about things because friendships can be awesome, amazing and make your heart sing... but they can also be devastating and 'leave little scars in our lives'. It's a complex world for sure, and not something we work out necessarily before the age of 18! Justine reports too that things get particularly gnarly around 8 or 9, when the feelings around friendships become particularly overt.

It's important to talk about friendships with your child. What they mean, how they should feel, and how to manage things when perhaps your child doesn't want to play with another child -- or be friends; or if your child is feeling excluded. And buckle up, because Jenny gets pretty strident about how she sees the role of parents, in supporting their children navigate the tides, depths, shallows and waves of not just friendships, but growing up.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dana Kerford of URSTRONG
• Linda Stade, expert on friendship
• bullying
• power dynamics
• the idea of being 'mean on purpose' (rather than using the term bullying)
• the difference between parents and teachers educating children about friendships, rather than getting too involved and trying to fix things for the kids

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for more resources, information and support.  Primary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/resources-for-parents/ and secondary resources here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/secondary-resources/

Send us questions or comments to THATsexedpodcast@gmail.com
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Jenny + Justine

Justine and Jenny chat all things puberty. Do you need to have a chat with your young person about puberty? Are they asking lots of questions and you don't quite feel equipped or confident to answer them? We talk We our memories of puberty, we look at some anonymous questions from Year 5-6 students, acknowledge the importance of empathy and also the importance of parents being the 'go-to person' for their child. Other topics covered: periods, wet dreams, vaginal discharge Also: see our earlier episode on Periods as well!

Initiating a chat, either deliberately or organically, is always the best way to show your child you are up to talk about anything they may be wondering or worried about.

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support.  (Primary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/resources-for-parents/)
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Jenny + Justine
 

In this episode, Jenny speaks with Ingrid Laguna, renowned children's writer, and co-author of new book Kit and Arlo Find a Way: Teaching consent to 8-12 year olds. There'd be a lot of parents who would think 'What? Teaching consent to my 8 year old? What are you talking about!' But the thing is, in this book, all the scenarios are age-appropriate and relevant to the lives of children of exactly this age. There are no sexual contexts included, but what is included are situations commonly experienced by primary-aged children, and it's these very situations that children can use to learn about consent, body boundaries, the importance of empathy and respect, mutual responsibility, and how to stand up for oneself. Basically it's about helping children learn how to navigate some of the tricky challenges that can come up for them at this age, such as not wanting to watch a scary film when their friends do. The book is inclusive and represents the diversity our young people are immersed in, and not only is educational but a great story with wonderful characters that kids will love and care about.

Listen in and hear Jenny and Ingrid chat about the book, and about why it's important that children are taught consent from a young age.

You can read more about Ingrid Laguna here, at her website:
Ingrid Laguna's website

Ingrid wrote the book with Vanessa Hamilton, the name and face of Talking the Talk. Vanessa is a sexuality and consent educator of many years' experience, and her website is well worth checking out, with loads of resources, school and parent services, and online courses - all evidence-based, up to date and delivered in a warm, accessible and direct manner:
Vanessa Hamilton's website

(We're hoping to have Vanessa on as a guest down the track a bit!)

You can buy Kit and Arlo Find a Way at the links below, and elsewhere:

Booktopia
Angus and Robertson online
Dymocks

And if you're a school, the publisher's website has class set discounts, you can find out more about those here, at ACER Press.

Vanessa Hamilton has a comprehensive platform of resources on her website, which you can look at in conjunction with reading the book with your young person. The back of the book also has a chapter-by-chapter list of consent topics covered, with discussion points and prompts to make sure that you're guided and supported as you read.

Kit and Arlo Find a Way: Teaching consent to 8-12 years old, free resources
 
Thanks for listening and we'd love to hear from any parents/caregivers or teachers about the topic of consent and how to talk about it with young children. You can email us at THATsexedpodcast@gmail.com

Today, Justine and Jenny chat about body safety. What it is, why it's important and how parents can start to have these essential conversations with their children.

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support.
 
Thanks for listening!
 
Jenny + Justine

Note: we may use gender binary terms in these early episodes, recorded two years ago. In more recent episodes we will use more inclusive language. 

In this episode we talk about how young people (and their parents) will fare with the opening up after COVID. Almost two years have passed with us in and out of lockdown across the country, and many teenagers missing out on face-to-face socialisation. Will they be racing to play catch up or will they take their time to re-integrate? And what about primary-aged children? How have they been going missing out on essential socialisation and development experiences?

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support. 

Thanks for listening!

Jenny + Justine

Note: we may use gender binary terms in these early episodes, recorded two years ago. In more recent episodes we will use more inclusive language.