Search review text. The book is broken down into different developmental age groups and gives sound, doctrinally based instruction for parents. It teaches human sexuality with an eternal perspective, instructs on our divine nature as literal spiritual children of God, focuses on the importance of family, discusses all the associated commandments God has given.
Interestingly, the day I finished listening to the audio version, my 7 year old started asking questions. I felt better prepared to discuss things with her because of this book. I was quite surprised by the frank and candid manner that this info was presented. The advice is sound and the principles are true. The number one lesson I took from this book comes from this quote: "Parents can mistakenly attribute adult characteristics to adolescents who look like adults but are largely children.
I was very impressed with this little book. I did not know it even existed until my sister-in-law told me about it. This book is a resource for planning family home evenings. This booklets teaches ways to improve family communication, take time for your family, and teach values in the home.
This video features Elder Dallin H. Oaks discussing how the teachings of Jesus Christ can strengthen families. Family Services Our Services. Home LDS. Strengthening Marriage This course was developed to help spouses develop and maintain an enriching relationship with each other. Your children will hear of this subject in various ways. They may bring home offensive language, questionable stories, and blunt questions about sex.
If they are to maintain gospel values, you need to answer their questions. Rationally answer, question, or seek sources of information together with the child. If ever there is a crucial time for open parent-child communication, it is during such conversations. This does not mean that you should force the child to confront details.
Although learning about sexuality can be traumatic for children, especially when what they are taught at home conflicts with some of what they encounter elsewhere, you can make it a rewarding time. As Latter-day Saints, be careful not to view the entire world outside the family as an ugly place. To be sure, we live in a time when corruption is rampant, but so did Enoch. There are also people about us who are good, kind, and decent. In this and other matters, parents need not be unduly afraid of outside influences if the home is a warm, loving refuge for its members.
But if it is a place of pain from which to flee, then the world may be alluring to the child. President David O. To answer questions accurately, you must know the names of body parts and at least basic facts about body functions.
Slang terms are not in keeping with the divine origin of our bodies. We are forbidden to refer to Deity with disrespect. Would it be pleasing to the Lord to refer to our bodies made in his image with disrespect? Neither should we be silly and use ridiculous words or terms. Teach sexuality by using correct, respectful language, information, and example. Following is a brief summary of the physical aspects of human sexuality and of the development of a child in the womb.
To obtain technical details of all the marvelous phases of human development, you and your children may want to study a medical text or a quality encyclopedia.
These cells propel themselves up the vagina, into the uterus, and toward the egg. If one sperm enters the egg, conception has occurred. The egg then travels down the fallopian tubes and attaches to the lining of the uterus womb. This lining and the egg pass off monthly through menstruation, unless the egg is fertilized by a male sperm cell. In its earliest stages, the developing organism is called a zygote; then it is an embryo. After that, it is often called a fetus. We shall refer to all prebirth stages as a fetus, a baby, or a child.
Within the womb, the fetus is protected somewhat from noise, disease, or injury by the amniotic fluid, which cushions and insulates. All in all, a normal pregnancy is a marvelous process. How the fetus actually becomes male or female is important information for parents and children. Soon after conception, all children have internal and external sex organs in a simple form.
This differentiation between the two genders—male and female—progresses throughout physiological development until there are complete internal and external female or male reproductive organs. The reproductive organs that develop while in the womb for the male fetus include testes where sperm cells are created after puberty , the penis the male organ through which urine and spermatic fluid pass , and the scrotum the sac below the penis into which the testes descend.
The female fetus develops two ovaries which contain all the egg cells she will have during a lifetime ; the uterus womb , a flexible muscle that can expand during pregnancy; fallopian tubes through which the egg passes to the uterus; the vagina a canal leading from the outside of the body to the uterus, thus allowing sperm to pass up to the waiting egg, and the baby to pass down at birth ; and labia the tissues or lips that protect the vaginal opening.
At birth the male or the female infant has reproductive organs but lacks reproductive capacity. This comes at puberty. Be cautious to keep your own bodies and intimate sexual relations private. Children do not need to see or hear details of your private sexual life. They see and hear enough in the normal course of family life. They may feel threatened if a parent becomes too descriptive. Children usually learn subtly and cumulatively from ordinary daily contacts.
There is much good that comes from drawing a veil between the children and yourself regarding private, intimate life. This is not a veil of fear or disgust, but one by which the body and its functions are robed in modesty and honor. The examples in the following paragraphs illustrate how you can use correct, respectful language and example. If the child asks more, the parent answers more; if not, the parent does not. Some children will seek an explanation that includes conception and birth.
Others will not. If your child seems confused about proper terms, then first discuss and agree with your spouse about which terms are acceptable within your family. Then discuss them with your child. The point is that body waste is an ordinary part of being human.
Remember that there is considerable sexual talk and play that can occur during this period. Playmates and young relatives may introduce such things. If your child uses a shocking, vulgar sexual term, an angry response may keep him from talking to you further.
You may have to consult with your spouse first and wait to cool down before dealing with the problem. Then, calmly and correctly explain why we refer to this sacred intimacy with the deepest respect. Frequently, there are language or vocabulary problems about sex long before the child actually wonders about the sexual process in any detail. If you have open communication, not forcing the issue, you can help the child understand all he needs to for his age. In some cases, the child needs simply to understand or be better informed.
In others, he or she may also need to repent. The following experience illustrates how a father and mother effectively dealt with such a problem in their family:. A certain father walked in the door after work. After putting his lunch pail on the kitchen table, he warmly embraced his wife. Two children in the room noticed this out of the corners of their eyes, without completely losing sight of the afternoon television cartoons. He broke through to them long enough to extract a hello.
As she sat on the bed, the mother explained that Dean had called his little sister a vulgar name in front of all the children. His wife smiled wryly. I know that his friends at school these days are a bit rough though. What if I talked with him? His wife promptly agreed. Dean appeared rather tense, even defiant. It worries me far more that her big brother was unkind to her. She really looks up to you. Dean was a bit off balance, for he had expected his father to be very angry about the bad language.
His father had a temper that he had been trying with increasing success to control. The father briefly explained to his son how important it is to the whole family that their home be a safe place where no one was attacked physically or verbally. Dean had noticed his father becoming gentler and more patient lately, so he listened, although outwardly he appeared defiant.
The boy dropped his eyes, caught a bit off guard. I thought you might want to know the correct ones. There was a long silence. Then, Dean looked up shyly. They talk about things, too. Today they were telling where babies come from. Where does the food go? How does it get there? The father concluded that his son had real questions about conception and birth. So he explained the process in simple, basic terms.
He began with a gentle question designed to give the ten-year-old culprit a chance to redeem himself a bit. Who made our bodies first of all? Heavenly Father made Adam and Eve. Who did they look like? Who do we look like? I just want to be sure you remember before I tell you some very important things. Now, as I explain some things about our bodies, remember who we are like.
It is very important. They agree to help each other be good and live together and treat each other kindly. One of their hopes is to have children. One sperm and one ovum begin to grow into a baby. All this is started when a mother and father love each other enough to have sexual intercourse. This expression of love is to be enjoyed only in marriage. It was given to us by Heavenly Father. It is very good and very special.
It is too sacred and too private to make fun of or to use the wrong words about. Mother and I do not talk about this outside our family. Do you have any questions? His father could not tell how much Dean had understood, although he was sure his son had listened. I guess not. Patiently the father explained that the stomach and womb are different and that food goes to the stomach through the throat and is eliminated through normal bodily functions. The womb is reached by the vagina and can swell as large as the baby.
The father then realized that, for this boy, the biggest issue was bad language. Oh well, he thought, parenthood is a lifetime program. Hoping that in mercy he had enlightened his son, he dispensed justice. But the thing that concerns mother and me the most was how you hurt your sister. What can you do to help her feel better? After a few minutes of discussion, Dean decided to take his little sister over to the school playground for an hour the next afternoon.
Dad would act as chauffeur and would provide ice-cream cones after. This father and son experience, like all parent-child experiences, affected the entire family. It required listening, empathy, understanding, meaningful instruction, justice, and mercy.
If you exercise patience in the manner described, you are more apt to build confidence and trust to support a loving bond of natural affection between yourself and your child.
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