Parent Buzz Newsletter - Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
The Parent Buzz
A Newsletter for Parents from Let's Be Honest
September 2009 - Issue 17
In This Issue
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Welcome to The Parent Buzz, an e-newsletter designed especially for parents and caregivers of middle school-aged children by Let's Be Honest, the Parent Education program of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

mother and daughter
As a recipient of The Parent Buzz, we know that you are aware of the work Planned Parenthood does around education. We want to also let you know specifically about our middle school (grades 6-8) comprehensive sex education curriculum, Get Real: Comprehensive Sex Education that Works.

Get Real is framed in Social and Emotional Learning, addressing competencies such as self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, decision-making skills and refusal skills. The goal of Get Real is to delay the onset of sexual activity, and the curriculum includes medically accurate and age-appropriate information on protection methods and sexually transmitted infections. Most importantly, Get Real engages and supports parents as the primary sexuality educators of their children.

If you're interested in helping to bring Get Real to schools in your district, please click here
The Planned Parenthood Parents for Prevention Online Network is looking for new members! This network provides a way for motivated parents to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education on both a community and state-wide level. As their child's primary sexuality educator, parents have an incredible amount of power. The Parents for Prevention Network encourages and helps parents to use that power in meaningful ways throughout their communities. When you join this network you will receive legislative updates and action alerts that will allow you to stay informed, speak out, and make a difference. For example, on October 6th, 2009, the Coalition for Choice will sponsor a Lobby Day at the State House in support of An Act Relative to Health Education in Schools. This event gives constituents (and parents!) an opportunity to voice their concerns to legislators and legislative staff regarding the status of sexuality education in the Commonwealth. If you are interested in advocating for your child's health and wellness, please visit
http://www.ppaction.org/pplm/join.html to join the Parents for Prevention Network.
Father and Daughter
As part of your "Back to School" reading list, Let's Be Honest recommends three favorite books to families as an invaluable resource for children and teens to find age-appropriate and scientifically accurate information about sex and sexuality topics. (And, as part of our parent education program, we offer complimentary copies of the first two to parent participants in our workshops!)

Kids of all ages have lots of ideas and questions about their bodies. Answering their questions and responding to their concerns reassures them that they are perfectly normal and healthy. These books, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Michael Emberley, can help parents be the primary sexuality educators of their children. We know that parents want to do the best job they can to keep their kids and teens healthy. But information about sexual health including puberty and other topics can be complicated.

As part of our program, we recommend these books for parents, teachers, librarians, health professionals and clergy as trusted and accessible resources to get answers and information about how to talk to youth about sexuality.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health
(Candlewick Press, 2009)
This book, written for youth age 10 and up, celebrates 15 years in print with a fully updated version, including a brand-new chapter on safe and healthy Internet use - one of parents' key concerns. It offers young people real information they need - now more than ever - to make responsible decisions that can help them stay healthy as they approach and experience puberty and adolescence. It provides accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every conceivable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS. This book also is available in Spanish (SEXO... QUE ES?) and in over twenty-five other languages.

It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families
10th anniversary Edition (Candlewick Press, January 2009)
This nonfiction book for children age seven and up provides accurate, unbiased answers to nearly every conceivable question - from reproduction to pregnancy and birth - while giving children a healthy understanding of their bodies. Our kids need and have a right to have the most up-to-date and accurate science facts about their bodies and about one of science's most amazing stories - the story of how just one egg and one sperm can grow - over nine month's time - into a baby. This book is available in Spanish (ES ALUCINANTE) and many other languages.

It's Not the Stork! A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families, and Friends
(Candlewick Press, August 2006)
This book, written especially for children age four and up helps answer those endless and perfectly normal questions that preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school children ask about how they began and what makes a girl and girl and a boy a boy.
Robie Harris Books

Don't forget to visit our website for helpful tips, information about workshops, and much more. Don't miss an opportunity to be the primary sexuality educator for your children. Need help? Call our Parent Education Team at (617) 616-1658.

Your support makes The Parent Buzz and our education programs possible! Click here to donate.

Sincerely,


Parent Education
Planned Parenthood League of MA

phone: (617) 616-1658
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