At ParentPower, we are often expressing concern about resources that are being used in schools which we think parents may be unhappy about. This week, it’s great to be able to tell you about a resource that we could recommend. It’s a specifically Christian RSE resource, which some parents might find of interest – LOVEWISE.
Most people recognise that children want to be informed about the sensitive issues of life by their parents. One of the stated reasons for more and more sex and relationships education in schools is that parents don’t talk to their children. Every parent finds this scary, but it actually brings us closer to our children as several mothers wrote and told us. One mother said:
“I was a bit scared, but I was amazed how easy it was to go through the resource with my daughter. After we had gone through the presentation, I felt that we were closer together and that she would be more likely to talk to me about anything that was worrying her”.
Lovewise was set up in 2003 by two paediatric doctors and the head teacher of a secondary school, who were concerned about the increasing number of young people in their clinics and school who were suffering from the consequences of sex outside marriage and the breakdown of family life. Lovewise started to produce resources to support parents, schools and churches in communicating clearly to children and young people what the Bible teaches about marriage, relationships and sex.
For younger children:
Growing up God’s way for girls (suggested age 9-13 yrs) and Growing up God’s way for boys (suggested age 10-14 yrs), these books teach the Biblical foundations of God’s design for men and women, about marriage, the body changes of puberty and preparing for the future. The books are best read by children with their parents.
Growing up…growing wise@home is a resource covering similar issues but in a different format. It is a DVD slide presentation to work through with your child on a computer. It encourages good discussion between parent and child. It is divided into four parts: Introducing Puberty, Puberty and Girls, Puberty and Boys and Love and Marriage, each session can be used separately and at different times.
Marriage God’s Way is a booklet to help younger children (6 years upwards) understand God’s design for marriage. It should be read with a parent.
For teenagers:
True Love, a book that covers what the Bible says about relationships, marriage and sex.
True Love Interactive Bible Study, can be used in a family group setting as well as in church youth groups. It includes five studies: Singleness and Marriage, Understanding Marriage, Why Keep Sex for Marriage, Going Out in a Way that Honours God, and Sexual Temptation. It gives access to online testimonials and includes discussion topics chosen to help young people face society’s conflicting pressures with confidence in God’s word. One mother who used the Bible study said:
“I used the True Love Interactive Bible Study with my young teenage daughters during the summer holidays. They enjoyed looking up the passages to read together, writing answers into the handbook and watching the video clips on a laptop. The passages and video clips stimulated valuable discussions that might not have arisen otherwise in day to day life”.
Staying Pure Online is a slide presentation to help parents teach young people about the dangers of pornography and the good things that will result from following God’s ways.
Other resources:
Other resources for churches and schools can be found at www.lovewise.org.uk. Why not suggest one to your child’s school?
LOVEWISE is now hosting a new Christian website for young people aged 13+ to access directly. It includes many articles with Biblical teaching on relationships, marriage, sex and wise living, and new articles will be posted regularly in the future.
Check it out at lovewiseonline.org
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