Catholic sex education

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Hi, I am looking for resources to do sex education for my children from a Catholic perspective. My 6th grader came home from public school with a permission slip for him to attend a class on “basic reproduction”, and that’s about all the information that was given. I do not think I will give permission, but would be interested in any resources for doing this at home that does not divorce sex education from morality.
 
milimac said:
Hi, I am looking for resources to do sex education for my children from a Catholic perspective. My 6th grader came home from public school with a permission slip for him to attend a class on “basic reproduction”, and that’s about all the information that was given. I do not think I will give permission, but would be interested in any resources for doing this at home that does not divorce sex education from morality.
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Have you tried youcat or theology of the Body?

I’m glad we homeschool.
 
I’m sure others can chime in with specific book recommendations, but one very good approach is to simply answer questions your child has as they grow up about their bodies, where babies come from, etc. That’s an ongoing process that probably begins in toddlerhood.

I would imagine that the class in school, at least on the 6th grade level, will focus primarily on what changes to expect during puberty. You can inquire to find out more, I am sure. If the school is evasive and does not want to share information, then I definitely think that’s a sign to keep him out of the class. (I have heard horror stories about sex ed curricula, but I attended public schools and we didn’t actually discuss the “mechanics” of sex until eighth grade health, and even then it was “this is what your body is preparing you to do when you are an adult.” We also watched a video of human birth. Contraception wasn’t covered until high school health, and a student couldn’t take that course until 10th grade, and abstinence was definitely emphasized as the preferred course of action for anyone not willing to have a baby at that point in time.) Human reproduction was covered in biology class, too, but that was much more abstract and clinical.

I’d suggest that talks about sexuality come primarily from the same-sex parent once a child is middle school age and older, because really it’s all about how to be a man or how to be a woman. Hopefully you and your spouse are on the same page about that. There are resources like “Theology of the Body for Teens” that might be useful for you as well.
 
milimac said:
Hi, I am looking for resources to do sex education for my children from a Catholic perspective. My 6th grader came home from public school with a permission slip for him to attend a class on “basic reproduction”, and that’s about all the information that was given. I do not think I will give permission, but would be interested in any resources for doing this at home that does not divorce sex education from morality.
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catholiceducation.org/en/marriage-and-family/sexuality/sex-education-the-vatican-s-guidelines.html Vatican Guidlines

sexrespect.com/main.html By Dr. Coeen Kelly Mast, well known Catholic educator.

setonhome.org/

kolbe.org/

olvs.org/index.asp

You could also check with a local Catholic School or with the Diocesan office of education.
 
I would ask to preview the materials being used then make my decision. It is a BIG deal to be excluded from a school presentation such as this. You may also sit in the room during the class. 😉
 
Hoosier_Daddy said:
Have you tried youcat or theology of the Body?

I’m glad we homeschool.
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Don’t give permission!
They don’t teach mortal sins, they just teach avoid underage premarital intercourse

Read the catechism under the 6th commandment and tell him any sexual act individual, Premarriage, or that blocks deliberately a cchild being the outcome of the act, is a mortal sin. All deliberatel thoughts of such are mortal sins.
Teach why they are mortal sins.
About heaven and hell.
 
The middle school theology of the body is good. It’s expensive, so check with both your parish and your diocesan catechesis office. Our diocesan office has a lending library with such materials.
 
I agree with many of the posters above. Find out what they are teaching. Most if not all public schools emphasize abstinence but acknowledge not everyone abstains.

Of course they don’t talk about sin but that’s where a well informed parent comes in.

They WILL hear about it all from peers or other places and they clearly need to know what is happening to their bodies. The best bet is to find out what the school teaches then add/augment that with sound catholic teaching and morality. Theology of the body for middle school is great as is the high school version. Those programs will support your teaching of the beneifts of chastity and why we believe what we believe. It give them sound arguments to use with peers and others in our society.

Please do NOT sit in on the class at the school. If you are unsure about it-opt out but it would be very embarssing for your child and uncomfortable for all the others if somone’s mom sits in 😉
 
The middle school TOB from Ascension Press is designed for a classroom setting, in the sense that it is geared to a group of middle schoolers together, rather than one on one. I suppose the material could be tweaked to fit a one on one situation, but it would be at the expense of some of the group activities that are included. Those are good, both in the sense of energizing the class and because the students better understand that others share the feelings and experiences that are so new to them at that age. For instance, every class starts with an “icebreaker” to get the kids talking, and these are all group activities.

It’s a truly Catholic message without a lot of fire and brimstone type hectoring that goes nowhere at that age, if it goes anywhere at any age. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about it.

I told my group (all public school kids) that what they heard in our class they will hear nowhere else - definitely not in school and (although I did not say it in class) not in Church either.

Sixth grade is a perfect age for this. Do whatever it takes; no one else will do it for you.
 
I don’t have children, but I’d let them get it from public school then supplement it myself. Or get a head start, that’s fine. But not exclude them from the common course. We can’t be sheltered from the secular world, we have to know how they think.
 
Pons said:
I don’t have children, but I’d let them get it from public school then supplement it myself. Or get a head start, that’s fine. But not exclude them from the common course. We can’t be sheltered from the secular world, we have to know how they think.
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👍

I find it VERY hard to believe the school did NOT give any other information than a slip of paper. Did you son purposely not give you the info out of embarrassment? Did the school refuse after being asked for more info?

I remember the one girl who did not take it. She was forever being asked ‘why’ and we ended up telling her everything. Now the reason she did not take it is because SHE did not want to. That is different. But to forbid a kid that wants to will really make him feel akward and more interested in ‘experimenting’.

Supplement it with moral teaching at home.
 
Anglewannabe said:
👍

I remember the one girl who did not take it. She was forever being asked ‘why’ and we ended up telling her everything. Now the reason she did not take it is because SHE did not want to. That is different. But to forbid a kid that wants to will really make him feel akward and more interested in ‘experimenting’.

Supplement it with moral teaching at home.
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Eh, opting out need not lead to ridicule. Programs vary greatly, so I agree that you should try to find out what sort of content will be taught before making your decision.

I opted out of the seventh grade section for moral reasons and was given a packet to do that was supposed to take me a week; I finished it in an afternoon and was told I could just amuse myself in the courtyard in the lovely spring weather. Suddenly, a lot more students developed “moral objections.” From what I am told, I didn’t miss much; the first day, apparently, was devoted to discussing different names for “penis.”
 
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