Speakers: Rev. Patricia Hoertdoerfer (right)
Vera Dowell (center)
Dr. Duane Dowell (left)

The Our Whole Lives sexuality education series includes curricula and parent guides for Grades K–1, Grades 4–6, and Grades 7–9. Some of the premises behind the Our Whole Lives series are that:

• Parents are a child's primary sexuality educators.
• Sexuality education begins and continues at home.
• Children need clear, accurate, and age-appropriate information about sexuality.
• Open communication builds trust.
• A congregational sexual education program must be a partnership between the congregation and the home.
• Sexuality education must include information about sexual abuse and the risks of sexuality.
• Sexuality education must be presented in a way that reinforces values of respect, responsibility, and relationships.

There are a number of resources parents can call upon in their role as primary sexuality educators. Among these are offerings from Family Health Productions, such as Raising Healthy Kids: Families Talk About Sexual Health, What Works: Sexuality Education, and In Our Own Words: Teens and HIV. Parents may also be interested in a booklet called Becoming an Askable Parent from the American Social Health Association.

When children ask questions about sexuality, it's important that parents try to determine what the "real" question is and why the question is being asked. As the old joke teaches us, the child who asks where she came from may be looking for the answer, "Toledo."

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