AGE APPROPRIATE DISCUSSIONS

Sex ed does not have to be an uphill battle.

meet them where they’re at and then nudge their curiosity a little further.

We learn and grow throughout our life, including as sexual human beings. That is an uncomfortable concept for many; that’s often because we equate sexuality with sex. But, sex is only a very small piece of the puzzle. Instead, sexuality is about figuring out who we are and what we love. It starts with our family and friends, expressing our feelings, and setting boundaries. Those are a few concepts we can examine at every age. In fact, when we scaffold sexual health topics and skills, youth will get what they need at each age of development - building from one milestone to the next. Find out what’s going on developmentally with the youth in your life, and become their champion for optimal health and well-being.

Curious about the curriculum at school?

What do little ones want to know?

who wants to play doctor?

Wee ones want to explore and learn about their bodies, understand how people are unique and the same, know why families look different from theirs, and figure out where babies come from. It’s a great age to name body parts, and talk about friendship, privacy and consent.

How can we support them?

SIMPLIFYING COMPLEX TOPICS FOR LITTLE ONES TO UNDERSTANd.

Sometimes, when the littles catch us by surprise (playing doctor, for example), our own upbringing flies in to react - not always in the most productive ways. If we pause and think about our own experiences learning about human bodies and what’s right and wrong, perhaps we can pluck the good and discard the unhelpful. Roads To Family is here to help families and teachers embrace a confident, upbeat attitude - ready for any surprise thrown your way.

What do elementary schoolers want to know?

ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THIS?

As kids enter school they begin to get hit with peer and media expectations around their bodies, gender, and sexual identity; in the later years, they witness first hand, the exciting, confusing, joyous, maddening changes of puberty. It’s a great age to build on skills from when they were wee ones, add in media literacy, and celebrate the cognitive, physical, emotional and social changes of puberty.

How do we support them?

Start talking (while you still have the chance).

We don’t want the primary educators in a kid’s life to be their peers or the media. Instead we hope their go-to for sorting out life’s complexities is a trusted adult: a parent, guardian, teacher, religious leader, or coach. No matter your role, Roads to Family has lots of resources to support you in your journey towards being a knowledgeable, approachable askable adult.

What do middle schoolers want to know?

CAN I GET AWAY WITH THIS?

Adolescent brains absorb information at lighting speed, their emotions have taken on an intensity never before seen, and at the same time that they are trying to define themselves as unique individuals, they are desperate for acceptance among their peers. It’s a great age to keep on building social and emotional intelligence, and adding in the concepts of social and reproductive justice.

How do we support them?

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN TELLING AND ASKING.

Since kids at this age are pretty confident they have figured out everything they need to know in terms of how life works, they aren’t always as receptive to adults’ brilliant wisdom as adults think they should be. How do we get in there - so that adolescents talk to us and so that we can remind them that we are actually on their side, rooting for them to accept themselves just as they are? Roads to Family has lots of tools to help you empower young people and their families.

What do high schoolers want to know?

is anyone listening?

In high school, teenagers can weigh right and wrong just as effectively as adults - as long as they are not in the presence of peers. Once they add social status into their risk calculation, well -their judgement can get a little off kilter. What’s on their minds? Relationships, abuse & violence, drugs, pregnancy, birth control, gender/sexual identity - just to name a few. Because the stakes are higher than ever before, it’s vital to help them build their health tool box - stuffed with information and skills to analyze influences, access accurate information, set goals, make smart decisions, reduce health risks, and advocate for what they need. Most importantly, how to ask for help when you make a mistake.

How Can we support them?

say it like it is.

Teens have hard, thoughtful questions and they want answers. Since their B.S. meters are sharply tuned, being straight-forward, honest, and unflappable is the way to encourage open dialogue.

Think about how you like to receive new information. You most likely want the facts, without shame or judgement, so you can input them into your brain and make future decisions based on your new-found knowledge. Teens are no different.

What do adults want to know?

what do i say and How do I say it?

Adults want to be knowledgeable or perceived as having the answers but their fears of saying the wrong thing all the time often results in silence. Usually, this is a really bad strategy. It’s not about sitting down and having one, pivotal TALK. It’s about having lots of talks all along the way - which gives adults lots of opportunities to acknowledge screw ups and try again.

How do we support them?

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY OR TO LATE TO START A CONVERSATION.

Would you believe us if we told you that talking to your kids about sexual health was just the same as talking to them about any perplexing, complicated, intriguing topic? Just the idea of broaching sexual health can make anyone feel like a deer caught in the headlights. But really, honestly, and truly - you can do it. Roads to Family is here to help adults develop the confidence to become the go-to person for answering youth’s questions and anticipating their future needs.