Talking to children about puberty

In a society where children cannot help seeing sex advertised everywhere, it is important that parents are open to talk about puberty and its implications. It is good to start as they begin to ask questions and to answer those questions in an honest and age-appropriate way.  Lovewise resources have been designed to help parents talk to their children about puberty and growing up from a medically correct, marriage-based and Biblical perspective.

'Growing up…growing wise @home' is an online resource (with an accompanying parents’ booklet) which is divided into five visual presentations of still images for the parent to talk through with their child. It explains the changes of puberty and how boys and girls can deal with them. The resource also talks about love, going out, marriage and how a baby develops from conception to birth.

Two books: 'Growing up God’s way for girls' and 'Growing up God’s way for boys' cover similar material and can be read by 9-13/14 year olds, either alone or with a parent.

If parents show their willingness to talk about puberty, relationships, sex and marriage with their own children, it makes it much more likely that their children will come back and talk to them as they confront difficult issues throughout their teens.