R.C.s publish sex booklet for parents

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34026, 15 December 1975, Page 18

R.C.s publish sex booklet for parents

A group of parents, teachers, social workers,' and clergy, have written a booklet for parents, to help them explain sex to their children. The 30-page booklet. “Inj the Beginning.” is on sale atbook shops. It was printed: by the Roman Catholic weekly, the “Tablet.” In an accompanying letter,! the booklet is said to be a response to the manual pro-; posed for use in schools —■ “Human Development and Relationships in the School Curriculum” — and a Christian presentation of “the mysteries of love of life.” “A clear call for assistance) (came from parents who * attended many of the discus- ' Ision groups set up to study; the human relationships; ; manual,” the letter said. I “ Tn the Beginning’ has

'oeen prepared ... to assist; [New Zealand parents in providing elementary sex education for their children.” The Parent Education Programme Committee, which prepared the booklet, was set [up in response to a request (from the Catholic Education [Council of the diocese of ‘Dunedin. ' The booklet’s first 12 pages; [tells the parent why he is, :especially suited to the task of sex education, what his; [attitudes towards sex should [be. and lays down a few guidelines for the parent who 1 might be deterred. “The embarrassing question is only a problem for the parent: the child is uniembarrassed when he asks,” [the booklet says at the end •of the first section. The second section deals [with things about sex the [child needs to know, and the third indicates how much children should know at different ages — early childhood and pre-school, early; ; school days, middle to late; primary school years, and drafts out an approach to and explanation of intercourse. It also defines basic body differences, and shows the parent how to cope with the; pubescent years. The fourth section helps the parent explain the growth from girl to woman, and from boy to man, and sexual developments. A fifth section deals with adoption and solo parents. The concluding section has tear-out illustrations for parents to use in explaining [human biology to their' 'children. Asexual cartoon [figures are liberally used [through the booklet. I