Open and Honest with Parents and Caregivers

As adults, we can find it awkward and tricky navigating conversations around sex and sexuality with children and young people. A lot of times we need to address our own underlying issues before even being able to have “the talk”.

Sexuality is an umbrella term that encompasses the physical act, sensuality, intimacy etc. However, sometimes intimacy and sensuality are oversexualized nowadays. Certain acts of service to our loved ones are sensual and intimate such as foot rubs and doing someone’s hair.

We had an intimate Open and Honest discussion facilitated by Anatola Finau from Family Planning, Anatola created a safe space for our participants to feel comfortable and share freely without judgement. The few brave parents and caregivers in attendance participated in a very in-depth talanoa about feeling more comfortable having the awkward and tough conversations with children and young people around sex and sexuality. We discussed certain cultural taboos associated with sex and were given real questions asked by children and young people and asked how we would answer, then given tips and tools to navigate conversations with children when they bring up sexual topics.

Being able to tackle these kinds of conversations head-on builds trust between adults and our young people. Giving children and young people good information will help them make more informed choices. Trust is the foundation of healthy relationships, we here at the HEART Movement love to collaborate and create safe spaces for our community members to learn how to navigate these conversations.