Educating in healthy sexuality

THE EDITOR: In response to the doctor who spoke regarding sex education at the pre-school level, I would like to highlight that society needs to respond to the social ills that are present by all means.

However, there are ways to empower the right people to act and take up their responsibilities. I would like to outline one such alternative. This practice aleady exists in some schools in assisting parents in educating about healthy sexuality.

My daughter attends a Roman Catholic school and in her first year, each parent was notified that their presence was required for a nurse’s individual checkup with their daughter.

During that visit my daughter was given a physical check, then asked questions about good touch versus bad touch, and given further clarification and details by the medical profesional. After this, the nurse role-played a stranger approaching and enticing with offerings of snacks/gifts, in tempting my daughter to either get in a car or accompany the stranger. The nurse then offered feedback on body language, tone and effective method of delivery of response.

As a parent, being privy to all of us this, I was extremely grateful, for I was given the opportunity to:

1. Learn the right questions to ask;

2. Learn how to observe the body language for different responses;

3. Understand how to further educate my children in dealing with these issues and situations; and

4. Get a contact person that I can call to ask questions or follow up with any concerns.

I also believe that this medical professional would also be trained to see any red flags or warning signs and follow up, or report if necessary.

I know many parents want to be equipped with this knowledge, and be armed to take action and exercise our rights and duties as the first educators of our children, instead of relegating this responsibility to the school or government, but we need to be given the tools.

Maybe each religious school board needs to identify and train their own resources and find creative ways to educate our parents at all levels. I found the method to be highly effective and quite a long-term solution, instead of the group sex ed approach, which may instill greater curiosity, especially at the preschool age where they are discovering their bodies.

We need to keep in mind that although some parents maybe part of the problem in issues related to our sexuality, all parents are part of the solution.

Tonia Leacock via e-mail