Adolescent Sexuality by Dr. Karen Rayne

I am offering a summer session of my sex-ed class for parents, the information is below. Parents who have taken this class in the past have said that it has dramatically increased their ability to talk about sex and sexuality with their kids - and that has in turn supported a strong and conscious parent-child relationship, even through difficult times.

Please feel free to forward this e-mail on to anyone you think would be interested. If you live outside of the Austin area, I am available to travel to present this class, or one tailored to your group’s specific needs. E-mail me for specifics.

Beyond the Birds and Bees: a class for parents

Dr. Karen Rayne presents a four-session class for parents on how to talk with children and teenagers more easily and effectively about issues of sex and sexuality.

Topics include: Current trends in adolescent sexuality, common assumptions about adolescent sexuality (right and wrong!), parental hopes vs. adolescent reality, and talking with your teenager (what to do, what not to do, and how to get started). There is plenty of time for bringing specific questions and difficult situations to the class for answers and discussion. More specific information about the class is available here.

Times: Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00
Dates:June 22nd, June 29th, July 6th, and July 13th
Place: Oak Hill (South-West Austin)
Cost: $175/individual, $300/couple (If this fee is prohibitive for you to attend, please e-mail me and we’ll see what we can do.)

If you have questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone (924-1814) or e-mail. If you would like to know more about me and my perspectives on adolescent sexuality, read through my blog!

I look forward to talking with you soon,
Sincerely,
Dr. Karen Rayne

Hi folks, I was up late last night on the phone helping a client talk through some emergency family related sex issues. Thus, no content blog post today.

I do education and consulting on issues of adolescent sexuality for both parents and adolescents, so if you’re in need of some support for topics along these lines, drop me an e-mail.   (Or if you know someone else who needs to have that talk with me, forward them my blog - http://www.karenrayne.com.)  I’d be delighted to talk with you, on topics ranging from how to start conversations about sex with your teenager to how to have safe sex and pretty much anything and everything in between.

I recently spoke with a group of parents of second graders. They asked me to come and talk about how/when to talk with their children about sex and the myriad issues associated with it. They also wanted some assistance to help them come together into a cohesive group for the many years of parenting children in the same class (the school is a small private one, and many of these parents expect their children to be together through high school).

Many of the parents have contacted me since the meeting, saying how much they feel they gained from the discussion. Points I have heard from these parents include:

• feeling more connected to the other parents
• feeling more confident in raising the subject of sex with their children
• having a better understanding of an appropriate trajectory of learning about sexuality
• having increased understanding of how current teenagers are tending to engage sexually

However, the most interesting point came from one mother who has talked with me about adolescent sexuality before. She reiterated, in one way or another, all of the comments above, that other parents have said as well. But then she went on to say that through our conversations she has come to understand her own path of learning about sexuality and her own sexual history in more clarity, and she thanked me specifically for helping her along that path.

As parents raise their children, they often come face-to-face with their own paths. This is particularly true of issues of sex and sexuality, because these topics are so personal and often not discussed openly. What this means is that when sexuality does start to become openly discussed - perhaps for the first time when a parent is explaining and teaching their child - strong memories and emotions can surface.

Traversing these pathways can be difficult. If you feel you or your group of parent friends would benefit from me coming and talking you through some of these steps, please do not hesitate to contact me.   I talk with parents of children of all ages, and I would love to support your process of increasing sexuality education in the home.  I can meet with you in person or by phone.

This is a busy week for me.

Tonight, and then again on Saturday morning, I will be talking with the 2nd grade parents at the Austin Waldorf School (AWS). This group of parents approached me, and asked that I come and lead a discussion about sex education. AWS is a small school, and these parents foresee being together in a class for the next ten years - which will span the most dramatic of the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes that adolescence brings. The parents want to see if they can all get on the same page in terms of sex education, and if not they want to at least have a sense of where they all stand on the issue. I’m very excited to lead these very thoughtful parents onto this path!

On Wednesday afternoon, I will be talking with someone from the up-and-coming organization Don’t Tell My Parents. I don’t know much about this group or their philosophical perspective yet, but I’m looking forward to learning more. If anyone has experience or knowledge of the group, I would love to hear what your impressions are!

On Thursday afternoon, I will be presenting an overview of my parenting class at the Texas Council on Family Relations Annual Conference. Those attending will be primarily academics and parent educators. I’m interested in their feedback on my class, and to learn how they are educating parents and facilitating effective family relations.

It’s a busy week, and I’m enjoying preparing for it!

I am also looking forward to my next guest blogger, Mrs. Y. She will be joining us Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with a new perspective on adolescent sexuality and sex education. I hope to bring many points of view to the table here on my blog, and I hope Mrs. Y will move that goal forward.

I will, as always, be reading the comments and will also be available by e-mail, so please do not hesitate to contact me while I am away from the front page of the blog.

Dr. Karen Rayne presents a four-session class for parents on how to talk with children and teenagers more easily and effectively about issues of sex and sexuality.

Topics include: Current trends in adolescent sexuality, common assumptions about adolescent sexuality (right and wrong!), hopes vs. reality, and talking with your teenager (what to do, what not to do? )

Dates: February 10th, 17th, 24th, and March 2nd
Times: Sundays, 3:30 – 5:00
Place: Austin, Texas (in Oak Hill, 3 miles past the Y)

For more information:
Call Karen: 512-924-1814
E-mail Karen: karen.rayne@gmail.com
Read Karen’s Blog: www.karenrayne.com