Single mom: Sex education for my son?

[faithsmind]

I am not sure how to go about educating my son on this topic. I’m a single mom and my son is now 12. I separated from their dad when he was around 7 bc of physical abuse. Their dad only sees the kids 2-3 times a year together as a group, and is not allowed to spend the night with the kids. His visits are also supervised. I should also put that their dad is a sex addict and we are court-ordered only to discuss pick-up and drop-off of kids. His relationship with his grandpa and uncles are good/casual. My brother coaches him, and my son has older male cousins who are good kids and are close to him.

I might be able to talk to my brother about what I should do, but I don’t want to expect my brother to have to talk to my son explicitly about it… I don’t want to have to put him in this situation as it is difficult enough to talk to my own moody daughter about it.
I was recommended the Youcat book and gave it to my older kids, but they seemed only mildy interested and now the book sits on the shelf. But I didn’t see anything in depth about the workings and psychology of intercourse in it, but I only skimmed the book. Are there any other Catholic books someone could recommend on this subject? ANy ideas?

Im feeling sad.

 

[Corki]

You might want to look at the materials by Colleen Kelly Mast. Her book “Sex Respect” is a very good Catholic treatment of sex ed topics for teens.

Theology of the Body for Teens is also good.

 

[faithsmind]

Nice! thank you.

 

[LaSalette]

I was a single mom for a few years, and found this to be a great, solid Catholic resource. They have info for specific discussions with sons, and also for daughters.

It’s called “Purely You: Growing God’s Way”

purelyyou.org/Home_Page.html

copy/paste from their site:
As a program designed to reinforce parents’ role as primary educators, PUREly YOU! Growing God’s Way is a set of tools the help parents teach their children about the beauty of sexuality and what to expect at the onset of puberty.

The materials are infused with the positive language of the Theology of the Body and though geared for approximately 5th grade, parents are encouraged to learn this enlightening vocabulary and apply it (when it becomes appropriate) as their children grow from infancy and on through the teen years.

PUREly YOU! is designed to help children understand:
…what it means to be made in God’s image.
…how adolescence is part of God’s plan.
…that each vocation is a call to love which brings forth physical life and/or spiritual life.
…how caring for themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and morally will help them to respond to
God’s call.
…how virtuous living leads to conforming oneself to Christ and experiencing authentic joy.
…that chaste love is pure love modeled after God’s love for us. …what love is (and is not)!
/end)

Hope this helps

 

[faithsmind]

THank you, I took a look at your link LaSalette, I think I am going to buy it. I especially like that it has an Imprimatur. A little apprehensive that it has a conversation outline, bc I didn’t think I could do that with my son. But after reading an excerpt, I think that it would be a very good thing to do so.

I have a friend who never got “the talk” from her mom. Raised in the church, baptized…
2 of her 4 siblings are homosexual now. She herself is a very orthodox, loving Catholic woman, but as soon as her siblings hit college, they immediately began to drift away and were very vulnerable in that area. Luckily, my friend met a very good man early in college and this greatly helped her firmly establish her values. But anyhow, I think it is very healthy to set these issues out on the table and talk about them. I know Christopher West has talked about this and recommends to do this with your children–in a very honorable way of course.