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Sending the Right Messages
What messages about sexuality do you want to give your child?
As a parent, you play the most important role in teaching and advising your kids about sex and sexual orientation. Your children will be influenced by your values and beliefs through watching and listening to you.
Key Messages to Convey
It’s never too early to help your children feel good about their individuality, their body image and their sexuality. Conveying these messages from the beginning will set them on the right track.
About Sexual Health
- Know how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).
- Know what healthy sexuality is.
About Relating to Others
- Respect yourself and others.
- Know the qualities of a healthy relationship.
- Recognize when a relationship is unhealthy.
- Take time for your relationships to grow and deepen before you have sex.
- Both partners should agree on when to become sexually active. No one has the right to persuade you to do something you don’t want to do.
- You have the right to say "No" to a relationship or any intimate act at any time.
About Sexual Orientation
- Be comfortable with your sexual orientation.
- Forming your sexual identity means understanding and accepting your sexual attraction to others, whether you’re drawn to the opposite sex, same sex or both.
Sexuality in General
- Sexuality is an important part of being human.
- Your sexuality lasts a lifetime.
