Talking with Teens

It’s official!  The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners has declared October - Let’s Talk Month!  Proclamation (pdf)
During October many activities in our community, the state and the nation help to encourage and support open family communication about healthy relationships and healthy sexuality.

Let’s Talk – all year long! Each day in our lives, in our society and culture, many windows of opportunity present themselves. Seize the moment! Start talking. Keep talking and listening! Your willingness to do so will help create a stronger, healthier future for young people and our broader community.

Parents & Other Caring Adults Please Know

• You are the one who can make the difference in the life of a young person.
• You are the one who can get the conversations started.

There are many good and important reasons for having conversations with young people

• Many adults find this hard to believe and accept, but over and over again, research shows that children and teens want to talk with their parents and caregivers about sexuality and relationships.
• Research also clearly demonstrates that parents have an enormous influence on their children and teen's decisions about sex!  Yes, parents tend to have more influence than friends/peers, the media or teachers.
• Parents and caregivers are the adults who can best model and share the values you want your children and teens to have as the grounding for their decisions about relationships and sexuality.
• While the U.S. teen pregnancy rate continues to fall, our country continues to have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world, twice Canada's and five times France's.
• The rates of sexually transmitted infections in the U.S. are the highest in the industrialized world.

Resources for Parents & Families

Advocates for Youth | Parents' Sex Ed Center
Advocates for Youth | Parent-Child Communication

Dads & Daughters

Minnesota Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Prevention & Parenting (MOAPPP)

Planned Parenthood - Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota
Download an English or Español Let's Talk Month Tablemat  - a tool to help get family mealtime conversations started.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Shoulder to Shoulder Minnesota

Talking with Kids About Tough Issues

The Birds & Bees Project

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

Mas Informacion en Español

Ambiente Joven

Padres de Adolescentes (pdf)

For Purchase | Para Ordenar

Let's Talk
Conversation starters for busy families | Tri-City Partners

Vamos a Hablar
Empezando una conversacion para familias ocupadas | Tri-City Partners

The Talk:  An Intercourse on Coming of Age
Provides a creative way to begin the often - uncomfortable conversation about sexuality.  Designed for young people ages 13 to 18 and their parents/caregivers.  The Talk addresses a wide range of topics. | Youth Performance Company

Sexuality & Family Life Educator
Schedule an educator to speak to your parent group | more information

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