10 top tips for talking to your child about sex and relationships

Brilliant sex educator Alice Hoyle has written these handy 10 top tips for talking to your children about sex and relationships. I’m sure there are parents out there who have been putting off having these conversations with their children, asking themselves: is this the right time? are they the right age? how much information do I give? what do they need to know? how do I know I’m giving accurate info? and more…

Well maybe our new years resolutions for 2012 should include responding confidently to questions our children have about sex and relationships and not being scared to initiate conversations ourselves. If this sounds like something you’d like to commit to then Alice’s top tips are a brilliant starting point.

If you have older teenagers who are glued to a computer screen don’t give up trying to talk to them, but do recommend websites they can visit which will give them accurate sexual health information, and will also encourage them to develop their communication skills and value respectful, consensual relationships. Scarleteen is particularly good for untangling complex relationship questions and Bish addresses lots of potentially scary topics (like porn) with a light touch that will make you and your teenagers laugh as well as think and learn.

If you would like to join a group with other parents to find out more about how to discuss sex and relationships at home find out from the fpa if they are running any Speakeasy courses in your area.

If you have had fun/difficulty/or disasters talking to your children about sex and relationships  and want to share your top tips, dos, don’ts and dunnos we’re waiting to hear from you…