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Television can also be an effec–
tive tool for education, if used wise–
ly. Supervised viewing of educa–
tional and informative programs
can add a visual dimension to learn–
ing and stimulate additional inter–
est and understanding. Be careful
not to allow indiscriminate use of
the set. There is nothing wrong
with occasionaJ viewing for enter–
tainment, as long as wrong
influences are guarded against by
proper supervision. Point out
wrong values and actions on televi–
sion . Discuss what is going on in
the show. Remember, television is
a privilege, not a right.
Family trips can also be a valu–
able method of education. Take
your children to museums if any
are accessible. Museums hold a
great fascination for young people.
Planetariums are also of great
interest to children. They can open
wide vistas of interest in the uní–
verse ahd the world in which we
live. Trips to his toricaJ sites or nat–
ural points of interest can also pro–
vide valuable learning experiences.
Such experiences at an early age
leave lasting impressions. Your
children want and need family
activities of this nature.
The more a child knows, the
more he or she will want to know.
Helping to develop an inquiring
mind in your child is one of the
most important efforts you can
make during preadolescent years.
Sex Education
During the preadolescent period,
questions about sex inevitably arise.
Children at this age want to know
the simple answers to their ques–
tions- and they
will
find out--one
way or the other!
Parents often don' t know how to
go about telling their children the
facts of life. They become tongue–
tied and embarrassed when con–
fronted with their children's sexual
questions. They become uncom–
fortable and uneasy. They grope for
words or they change the subject.
Most children are thus left to pick
it up on their own, to put two and
two together for themselves. More
often than not, they pick it up in
the proverbial gutter, usually from
classmates in the form of dirty
jokes or magazines.
Don ' t allow this to happen to
April 1985
your child! You should have begun
teaching your child in the preschoo1
years about birth, the nursing of
babies and sex when he is young,
before he hears it from misin–
formed sources. Educate your child
in stages about birth and sex as
early as possible, before other
influences come to bear. Do not
allow other children to play the role
of sex educator for your child!
How should you proceed? First,
make sure you are sufficiently
versed on the subject to be able to
provide simple, but correct and
accurate answers to their questions.
lt
is often surprising how much
parents don't know about their bod–
ies and the reproductive process!
Create an atmosphere of open
communication. Candidly and
openly answer according to a
cbild's leve! of understanding.
Don't worry that children will be
embarrassed or frightened by ex–
plicit answers, thoughtfully pre–
sented. The embarrassment and
Teach your
children
about birth,
babies and sex
before
they hear it
from
misinformed
soorces.
apprehension are usually only on
the part of the parent!
And don't wait until your chil–
dren ask about sex. A lmost all
want to know, but sorne are too
shy to ask. If they don't inquire,
don't assume they have no interest
or are not old enough to deal with
the subject. Take the initiative
and teach them when they are
young, before wrong attitudes
develop because of outside in–
fluences.
Be careful not to associate
human sexuality with feelings of
guilt or shame. Let your children
know that sex is sacred and whole–
some. Don ' t convey-consciously
or unconsciously- a negative view
of the opposite sex. Regardless of
your own innermost feelings, don't
create wrong attitudes in your
child. Attitudes acquired early in
life tend to be retained. Impart the
right kind of wholesome, responsi–
ble Bible-based attitudes about sex
to your children.
A few books, carefully chosen,
can also be helpful. Go through a
simple book about sex with your
children. Photographs of the
human body and explicit diagrams
can often help clarify what words
sometimes fail to convey.
Why not also request our free
book
The Missing Dimension in
S
ex
for this information?
There has been much controversy
in recent decades about sex educa–
tion in public schools.
If
sex infor–
mation is imparted first in the
borne, the negative aspects (if any)
of the school's presentation can be
overruled. When your child's
teacher covers human sexuality in
class, your child will be able to
take that information and view it
through eyes that have already
been trained to discern good and
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