Is there a particular reason behind this? Fine china, hole, wee wee, front bottom, rude parts, fanny, hoo ha, ding a ling, fairy flower petal rose naughty bits, junk, bergina, va-jay-jay, front bum, pee pee, snoodle, noodle, doodle, willy wonka, banana, cucumber, hose and my two favourites — rocket launcher and flapper jackers. Here are some of the questions that I get asked each day, from the students that I teach in schools:  What are the nicknames that your family uses for our genitals and why do we use them and not the correct names? As a sexual educator in schools, I am still ..read more

Why do we need to have conversations about sex with our kids? Last week, I was on an American podcast with the amazing Rachel Nielsen from ‘3 in 30 Takeaways for Moms’. We had so much fun together as we chatted about 3 important things when talking with your kids about sex. Let me just say, however, I could have talked about 1000 important things! Here are some more tips that are on my website. Rachel is one gorgeous human, and we could have chatted all day. She is making a huge difference in the lives of many moms through realistic education, wisdom, and empowerment. I love how she mention ..read more

As parents, do we know what our children really think about their changes during puberty? When I began growing breasts at the ripe old age of seven, I wish I had known that when they hurt or were lumpy, that it was normal. Puberty had started and my breasts had begun to grow and I didn’t have something wrong with me. As I went through puberty at such a young age, I was sure that I was the only one, and I felt  self-conscious. I’ll never forget the woman at the bras shop commenting about me being so young when I was trying on bras and my Aunty Sue commenting about my breast size. I was ..read more

As parents, do we know what our children really think about body image? When I began growing breasts at the ripe old age of seven, I wish I had known that when they hurt or were lumpy, that it was normal. Puberty had started and my breasts had begun to grow and I didn’t have something wrong with me. As I went through puberty at such a young age, I was sure that I was the only one, and I felt  self-conscious. I’ll never forget the woman at the bras shop commenting about me being so young when I was trying on bras and my Aunty Sue commenting about my breast size. I was scarred! Boobs, bu ..read more

As parents, do we know what our children really think about body image? Each day, I am noticing more and more questions in the anonymous question box about body image, and not just from girls: These comments worry me a lot. Let’s face it! The way we think and feel about our bodies i.e. body image can affect our self-esteem at any age and in every part of our lives, not just who we are as sexual beings. Were you aware that having a positive body image is a significant factor in developing a healthy mindset about sex?  Being confident in who you are, not just what you think and fe ..read more

It is important for the kids to know that they are the boss of their own body Did you know that body safety education, which is a significant aspect of sexual health education, begins with a young child knowing that they are the boss of their body—every part of it? If you stop and think about this sentence, it’s empowering, don’t you think? Child Safety education involves teaching your child many concepts and this can start when they are babies. How were you taught to respect adults when you grew up? Was it like me? Do what all grown-ups tell you to, or grown-ups are always right and must b ..read more

Puberty is one of the biggest changes in our kids' life A change in uniform, shoes, lunchbox, teacher, friends, timetable and perhaps a new school. This week all around Australia it’s a time of change for Aussie kids as they head back to school after a long summer holiday. We all cope with change in different ways and so do our kids. Last term I asked some Year 6 students to write some ‘I wonder’ statements about changing and puberty. This is what some of them said; “I wonder if anybody will notice the changes in me when I go through puberty.” “I wonder if my friends will change when I go ..read more

Why do we need to have conversations about sex with our kids? I was having dinner with a group of girlfriends last week, and one posed this question to the group: Why on earth do we need to have conversations with our kids about sex and so often? I found out about periods from my girlfriends and I’m okay with that. I have so much to say about this, but today I thought that I would focus on the why. Why do we need to have conversations with our kids about sex (and so often)? The beginning of the new year is a great time to be reminded of the importance of this. So here are 9 reasons why we ..read more

Create new positive possibilities in 2024 It’s nearly the start of a new school year for us Aussies and the beginning of 2024 for us all around the world, and that means that the possibilities for 2024 lay before us! I just love this time of year when we can look forward to a new year and reflect and re-evaluate on the past.  So here are 5 things that can help you to create those positive possibilities with your kids about tough topics in 2024! Know that the first conversation is often the hardest. Have you heard the saying that there is a first time for everything? The first time yo ..read more

How would you answer this question if your child asked you? “What’s a 69er?” This is a question that can make us squirm, get really upset or perhaps hit the roof! These feelings are an understandable reaction, as it’s a full-on private question that we are not necessarily prepared for, or want to answer, especially when our children are young. Whatever you believe you can still answer your child’s question in a way that opens up positive conversations and not shuts them down. Over the past school term, I have been writing some answers to tricky questions that kids often ask me. TIP: Click h ..read more