Sex Positive Caregivers:

• Show respect for children
• Shed the shame in oneself
• Teach values
• Value autonomy of children
• Reinforce the importance of consent; beyond “no means no”
• Show love for children
• Realize that every difficult situation is not a crisis
• Practice communication skills
• Model understanding and respect
• Use teachable moments
• Do not expect oneself to have all the answers
• Teach proper terminology for anatomy; including genitals
• Know that the most important part of good communication is listening
• Do not laugh at a child’s question
• Demonstrate self-awareness
• Do not mock questions
• Promote exploration of pleasure
• Do not expect oneself to be perfect
• Admit mistakes
• Understand the valuable lesson in admitting one’s mistake
• Can acknowledge the discomfort when a child asks about sex & still answers the questions
• Create safety for our children to talk openly
• Admit not knowing; and follows up later after learning
• Focus on risk reduction
• Avoid instilling fear and shame
• Find and use outside resources
• Get support

We offer individual coaching for co-parents on how to discuss topics relevant to sexual health. This is a time you can bring questions your children have asked that you do not know the answer to, or simply do not know how to approach answering. We will discuss options on covering a topic, provide you with the most up to date, medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive information. This helps you be the best sex positive parent, the sex educator your children deserve!