What Resources Do You Suggest For Children?

QUESTION

My wife and I are children's pastors and we wanted to see if you had any resources or curriculum for teaching children about purity, sex, etc. We have seen the need in our 6-12 class to have the "talk" and with the permission of our parents we are going to. We just need the right tools.

TEAM'S ANSWER

What a great question and we are so thankful you inquired with us!

At this time Moral Revolution does not have any resources for children ages 6-12 specifically, however, our Sex Therapist does recommend the following books for parents so they may be a good place for you and your team to start:

How and When to Tell Your Kids About Sex by Stanton and Brenna Jones Talking To Your Kids About Sex by Mark Laaser God's Design For Sex Series by Jones and Nystrom The Story of Me by Stan and Brenna Jones Before I Was Born by Nystrom The Wonderful Way That Babies Are Made by Larry Christenson

You can find any of these books on Amazon. You may also want to check out Focus on the Family's website regarding Sexuality here.

That being said, we do not think a 12 year old is too young to use our existing Moral Revolution resources:

The Naked Truth About Sexuality by Havilah Cunnington Let's Talk About It: Sexuality course, written for use by leaders. Moral Revolution: The Naked Truth About Sexual Purity by Kris Vallotton 40 Day Journey to Purity for Guys/Girls

According to BYU's Women's Services and Resources the average age of first Internet exposure to porn is 11 years old and the largest consumer of Internet pornography is 12 - 17 year olds. You'd probably be doing your 12 year olds a favor by opening up the conversation for them now rather than later so they have a safe place to process, ask questions, and get honest answers on how to manage their developing sex drives.

Can you tell me a little more about the Let's Talk About It: Sexuality course? What age group would you use it with?

We generally recommend ages 12 and up (including use in adult small groups, home groups, leadership training, etc.), understanding that some 12 year olds are more than ready for it than others. We believe that the content is appropriate, respectful, and educational, and a discerning teacher or communicator will be able to present the core ideas (identity, personal values, covenant, etc.) to children in that age group, should the need arise.

Do you have any tips about presenting this course in your youth group?

If you have a mixed group of junior and senior high students, it may be wise to separate them; they are at different stages of development and are interacting with and assimilating the information differently. Jr. high students may still be giggling at the idea of sex and relationships, whereas some of the older ones may have serious questions about it. Follow up your lessons with small group time, or other opportunities for your group to ask questions, talk, get prayer, and process through what they've just learned.

What about parent involvement?

For a younger group, you may choose to invite parents to sit in during the lessons, bringing a sense of security to all parties. Older students may not engage when mom or dad is sitting in the seat next to them, so a letter home may be sufficient and effective for these. (The course comes with a parent-letter and lesson synopsis that you can send home for review before starting the course.) We may even recommend going as far as inviting the parents to go through the DVD or lesson plan themselves ahead of time so that everyone is comfortable and on the same page.

You know your children/students best, so in partnership with their parents, review the materials and decide if it would be suitable for your particular group. Again, whether your group is more sensitive than the average 12 year old, or maybe they're already exploring sexual activity, review the materials and feel free to give your students what they need out of it.

We hope this helps and blesses you as you father and mother these children into greatness!

For more information on Parenting Sexuality, you can check out our e-course.