I know, I know...obviously! 

Is puberty the elephant in the room in your house?  Don't ignore the signs that your child is developing and in the midst of these physical and emotional changes. Most schools across the nation missed the infamous 5th grade puberty video this past spring. With the challenges teachers and schools are facing right now I wouldn't leave sex ed to schools at this time and other experts agree. 

What do schools usually cover in sex ed?

That depends where you live. Here in California the California Healthy Youth Act (implemented January 2016) requires school districts to ensure all students in grades 7–12 receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education at least once in middle school and once in high school, and mandates curricula be age appropriate, medically accurate, objective, and appropriate for “all races, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds; pupils with...

Talking to your Son about Wet Dreams and other Body stuff

Oh boy, oh boy! If you have a boy and puberty is here this blog entry is for YOU! There are many things you'll want to discuss with your son before, during, and after puberty pertaining to sex and growing up.

One of the bigger conversations will need to be around erections and wet dreams. A book can be a great place to start the conversation. There are general body books and more specific books on puberty changes and other important related topics. Be sure to check out our book list for some suggestions to get you started. 

I think where parents often get stuck is how to simply explain adult topics like ejaculations, wet dreams, erections, etc. It is helpful to have a bit of scripting around how to explain things. Here are a few scripts I've often used in the years teaching "THE Talk". 

Broaching the subject

Find a game to play together and talk while you are playing. Begin with small talk and then mention to your...

I've been wondering?  Many of you have been too as I've heard your questions and skepticism when learning about this newer menstrual product. I decided to get myself a good quality pair and put them to the test. These are my thoughts and observations. 

Women today have more options to use for feminine hygiene protection than ever before. Gone are the days of pads or tampons only and now there are more environmentally friendly options such as menstrual cups and period underwear.  A teen new to their period may not be ready to try a menstrual cup, but period underwear…now we are on to something! Here are a few questions I had. 

What do they feel like? 

The underwear itself feels very high quality, kinda like swimsuit material, and are very comfortable. Having used tampons most of my life trying something different felt - well, different.  

You may be wondering how exactly this technology works so I asked the folks at THINX.com to learn...

I have a couple of secrets to share with you about how to get your kids to talk to you about "IT"! I'm Jen Elledge and I'm known for helping thousands of parents and their kids learn to talk about sex together through both live and online courses.

Everyday, children are getting a sex education from the media, from the Internet, the playground and friends. And you want to make sure that you're also talking to your kids and combating some of the mixed messages they will receive. If there's one thing that I know for sure is you do not want to be the only one that's not talking to your kids about sex!

In all of the years that I've been a sex educator, I've learned a few secrets of how to get your kids to talk to you more about difficult subjects like sexuality. And I'd like to share them with you.

Secret #1

The first secret that I wish every parent knew about how to get their kids to talk to them about sex is to be approachable. Be an ask'able parent. When you think about what it...

Is there a wrong way to talk to your kids about sex?

There are five things that parents do wrong all the time, and I don't want you making these same mistakes. Are you fully confident that when your child has questions about their body changes or how bodies come together, that they will actually come to you with their questions about sex? Did you know that there are really five things that parents do wrong all the time when they're having the talk with their child? What do you imagine that they might be? 

I’d like to begin with a quick story as I actually remember one of the first questions I had about sex. I didn’t ask a parent though, I asked my oldest sister...I was about 5 years old, we were in the car, and I asked the most popular sex question, “Susie, where do babies come from”? Her reply, “Honey, I think we need to talk about that when you are a little bit older.” I may have been young and I know she thought so and maybe she...

I recently recorded a Life Talk (see above) on the seasons of life and things that are helpful to know when you are experiencing a crisis. I am currently in the midst of a crisis. I based the call on a concept I learned from Jim Rohn about the phases or seasons of life, as well as a podcast I listened to 5 times because it was so helpful for me dealing with the recent loss of my father.  It has been extremely helpful to me and I hope it is helpful to your family. Here goes...

The Seasons of Life 

I came across a story recently which describes the seasons of life really well.  

"There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away. 

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the autumn. 

When they had all gone and come back, he called them...

Did you know 7 out of 10 American teens say anxiety and depression are major issues kids their age face? That's according to Pew Research Center and it's the number one problem teens...

I recently read an article from Screenagers Filmmaker Delaney Ruston, MD that got me thinking. It was titled "TikTok and The High of an Audience" and posed some interesting questions about what youth get out of massive numbers of followers and views on social media. Teens say (getting views and likes) makes them feel appreciated and being seen feels good. If so many people see what they post, it implies that what they are doing is worth the other person’s time — and that can feel great. 

During adolescence, along with body changes comes major brain development.

Youth begin asking some huge questions: Who Am I? Do I matter? What do I have to offer? Do people like me?  Am I enough?

They answer these questions typically based on input from others. This can become the foundation for their self-confidence and self-worth. When validation comes from others and not from within changes with it can be devastating. 

When we repeatedly compliment...

Having strong friendships is an important part of being emotionally healthy. Talk often with your children about how to be a good friend, how to keep good friends, and how to stay emotionally healthy by getting out of friendships that aren't good for them. It's helpful to think about what we are looking for in a good friend and strive to be the friend we want others to be.

Where to start......

1. Model and have talks about the qualities of true friendship and encourage many

Start by making a list together of traits or qualities in true friendship. If your list looks anything like mine it's likely you'll need many different friends to fulfill your friendship needs. Having multiple friendships is helpful when friendships change through life.  You don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of. 

I've put together a few talking points to help you get started.

True friends make you feel...

• Good...

Peer pressure is a bit inevitable, but there are things we can do to close the door on being pressured more than we do.

Making sure your kids know how to say "no" is an important life skill. One that they will need more and more as they get older. Adults play an important role in helping young people develop and practice this skill. These talking tips are sure to help! 

Help kids clarify their values by sharing your own and why you believe what you do. 

If you have values around what is right/wrong, healthy/unhealthy, or safe/unsafe behaviors be sure to share these with your children. It is important to also include why you feel that way. You won't always know if your values and beliefs were heard in the moment but often times they are reflected back later when it counts. 

Be real. Don't exaggerate to instill fear. The truth is often scary enough.

Often times adults exaggerate consequences. If a child knows of an example that contradicts what you are saying, it...