Sex & Relationships

Watch this Space for…

In this section we will go on to discuss over the coming months,? what is sex and relationship education (SRE)? Why is it important? Who should be giving my child SRE? What are my child’s school teaching about this – can I know? Can I withdraw my child? I didn’t have any SRE why does my child needs it? Won’t telling them about only make them want to do it? Where can I find age appropriate resources? I don’t feel confident talking about this subject with my child.

 


 

Further Information: Useful Links

KJT Online Manip Logo

 

If you are concerned about your child or have any questions about parenting in Luxembourg you can contact the Online Parent service in English at the Kanner Jugend Telefon

 

 

Family Planning Luxembourg: Family planning advice on contraception, trying to conceive, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are available in Luxembourg via Planning Familial. They have 3 clinics around the country in Luxembourg Centre, Esch-sur-Alzette and Ettelbruck.

Fpa (Family Planning Association UK): Provides information, advice and support around issues to do with pregnancy, contraception, sexuality, sex and relationship education. Click on the titles below to view Fpa-produced leaflets on the following subjects:

A Guide to the Male Body 4 BOYS

A Guide to the Female Body 4 GIRLS

Is this Love (Healthy & Non-Healthy Relationships)

Love Sex Life Booklet

 

Scarleteen Sex Education for the Real World: This is a comprehensive sex & relationship education site for teenagers. You may want to visit this site before suggesting it to your child if only to help you understand the complexity of this issue for young people today. It will also serve as a useful place to go to share discussion one-to-one.

Healthy Sex Talk – Teaching Kids about Consent Age 1-21: A list of parenting action items, created in the hope that we can raise a generation of children who have less rape and sexual assault in their lives.

The Guardian Sex Education: This UK site collates recent and archived articles from the health & society section in The Guardian newspaper. These articles include discussion around controversial or sensitive subjects like when sex education should begin in schools, rape, and pornography.

Brook: This is the UK’s largest young people’s sexual health charity.

Bish: This is a UK-based Sex Education site for over 14s that talks explicitly about sex, relationships and looking after yourself. It was developed by a qualified youth worker and sexual health trainer, who has worked with young people for over 20 years and has been giving sex and relationships education since 1999.

 


 

Further Information: Recommended Reading

Sex and Relationships Speakeasy: Talking with Your Children about Growing Up by Family Planning Association (UK)
This book follows the course run for parents in the UK. The course is designed to support parents in giving their children sex and relationships education in the home. It has been shown in past studies that children prefer to receive information from their parents especially at a younger age.

Talking About Bodies and Sex with Your Children – Article about what to answer when children begin to ask about sex. This is part of a series of informative articles that follow on from the link above.

 

For Younger Children

Mummy Laid An Egg! by Babette Cole (1995)
This book is aimed at children as young as 5 years. It is a fun way to start talking about babies and where they come from. Recommended by fpa.org.uk

Let’s Talk About Where Babies Come From: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie Harris and Michael Emberley (2014)
This clear, lively information book about sex and reproduction covers all the main areas: babies, reproduction, bodies, chromosomes, genes, growing up, love, health and lots more. The information is imparted simply and reassuringly with humorous commentary from an inquisitive bird and a squeamish bee and very friendly full-colour cartoon-strip illustrations. Recommended by fpa.org.uk.

 

For Pre–Teens and Teenagers

It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley (2014)
It’s Perfectly Normal has been updated with information on subjects such as safe and savvy Internet use, gender identity, emergency contraception, and more. Providing accurate and up-to-date answers to nearly every imaginable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and STDs. Recommended by fpa.org.uk.

Let’s Talk About Sex by Robie Harris and Michael Emberley (2014)
Now with expanded information on internet and texting safety, birth control, LGBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) issues and more. Providing accurate and up-to-date information to answer young people’s concerns and questions, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, it offers everything they need – now more than ever – to make responsible decisions and stay healthy. Recommended by fpa.org.uk.

 


 

Over to you…

If you have experience as parents or professional expertise in this area please write us an article. We can publish articles anonymously to protect your identity if you prefer but other parents would welcome another point of view. For further information about how you can contribute to this ‘living’ resource’ see our section How to Get Involved or contact us at: passage.parents@gmail.com

 


 

Last updated:  Wednesday 6th May, 2015