ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Parent-Child Communication

When young people feel unconnected to home, family, and school, they may become involved in activities that put their health and well-being at risk. However, when parents affirm the value of their children, young people more often develop positive, healthy attitudes about themselves. Although most adults want young people to know about abstinence, contraception, and how to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), parents often have difficulty communicating about sexuality. Nevertheless, communicating about sexuality is important—positive communication between parents and their children greatly helps young people to establish individual values and to make healthy decisions. Click on the hyperlinks below for more information.

Also, be sure to visit Advocates for Youth's Parents' Sex Ed Center today. It contains all of the information that parents need to begin talking with their children about sex!!! 

• Lesson Plans (Plans are designed for use by classroom sex educators and community-based organizations, but may be adapted for use by parents.)
• Evaluating Parent-Child Education Programs
• Let's Talk Month
• Public Service Announcements
• Rights. Respect. Responsibility.^® Campaign: What Parents Can Do

Publications on Parent-Child Communication:

• Are You an Askable Parent? (From Research to Practice) [html] [pdf]
• Let's Talk Month Planning Guidebook [guidebook pdf] [sample materials pdf]
• Parent-Child Communication: Promoting Sexually Healthy Youth (The Facts) [html] [pdf]
• Parent-Child Communication Basics: An Education Program to Enhance Parent-Child Communication [html]
• Parents: It's Time to Talk [poster] [calendar]
• Raising Healthy Kids: Families Talk About Sexual Health [video]
• Raising Sexually Healthy Youth: Rights. Respect. Responsibility.® & Parent-Child Communication (Transitions) [the Web site] [pdf]
• Replicating Successful Programs: Focus on Plain Talk (From Research to Practice) [html] [pdf]
• Resources for Families on Parent-Child Communication (From Research to Practice) [html] [pdf]
• Resources for Sex Educators and Trainers: Parent-Child Communication about Sexuality for Asian/Pacific Islander, Latino, and Native American Families [pdf]
• Talking With TV: A Guide to Starting Dialogue With Youth [html]
• There's No Place Like Home … for Sex Education
  • SPANISH—No hay lugar como el hogar … para la educación sexual
  • NEW! Also available for Native Americans [html] (page to open in new window)