Having that “birds and bees” talk with the kids can be an awkward undertaking for most parents.
Thankfully, Island Sexual Health Society is offering a day of educational seminars tailored to families at First Metropolitan United Church.
“The idea is basically to create health literacy from a young age so that children understand about their bodies, how to take care of themselves and communicate,” said Jennifer Gibson, co-ordinator of community education services with Island Sexual Health Society.
The society offers sex education classes to more than 11,000 people every year, but it’s not often those programs are run out of a church, she said. “You’re just building a conversation for a healthy life, as opposed to this old idea of sitting down to have the talk around puberty. That’s often too late.”
The sessions take place Feb. 27 between 4:30 and 7:15 p.m. Age-appropriate sessions are planned for children ages 3 to 5, ages 6 to 8, ages 9 to 12 and 13 to 16.
The cost is $12 per family for as many sessions as required. Register online at firstmetvictoria.com or by calling the church at 250-388-5188.
Find more information at islandsexualhealth.org.
dpalmer@vicnews.com