Birds & Bees is a workshop by AWARE that helps parents start and sustain important conversations with their children about sex, in a non-judgmental way.
How do you talk to your children about sex? It’s a topic that many parents are happy to put off discussing for as long as possible. But what are the consequences of making home an environment where talks about physical intimacy are off-limits?
Comprehensive sexuality education is an urgent need
A 2018 survey of almost 800 young persons in Singapore, conducted by AWARE and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, found that 60% of respondents who engaged in sexual activity did not take any precautions to avoid pregnancy or STDs.
The same survey found that parents ranked lowest in terms of preferred sources of sexual health knowledge. Many youths were unsure of their parents’ openness to discussing sexual issues:
- Close to 70% said their parents were rarely interested in their thoughts on sexual matters, or did not know if their parents were interested.
- Half said their parents rarely showed support when they spoke to them about their problems with sexual matters, or did not know if their parents would show support.
- Close to 60% said their parents rarely encouraged them to speak their minds about sexual matters, or did not know if their parents would encourage them to.
However, youths with more comfort and confidence in discussing sexual matters with professionals, friends, parents, partners are more likely to have egalitarian views on gender roles, are more likely to have better sexual health knowledge.
How Birds & Bees works
No matter where you are in your parenting journey, the Birds & Bees workshop will allow you to:
- Understand the lasting, positive impact of talking to your children about sex and relationships
- Introduce crucial information about consent, personal boundaries, and safety to your children
- Talk openly about the difference between respectful, healthy relationships, and abusive, unhealthy relationships
- Improve your communication with children on difficult or uncomfortable topics
- Create a home where your children are not afraid of approaching you if they have questions or are troubled about a relationship or sexual encounter.
Through case studies and facilitated discussions, the workshop will give you a chance to think more deeply about your values and sexual health knowledge, and improve communication with your children.
Typical workshops are intimate, with 7-15 participants. All parents are welcome, though we’ll deal with issues most relevant to parents of teenage children (12-18 year olds). After you sign up, you will be asked to complete a short pre-workshop survey about the age(s) and number of your children. We will try to group participants with children of similar ages together during the workshop.
Note: As of 2020, Birds & Bees is being conducted online over Zoom! Read a recap of a recent workshop.
Want to sign up? Find upcoming sessions on AWARE’s Eventbrite page, or register your interest in attending by filling out this form.
If you have any questions, email Birds & Bees facilitator Joo Hymn at publiceducation@aware.org.sg.
Feedback from previous Birds & Bees attendees
“This was valuable… it made me reflect on my own values regarding sex and what I may project onto my children.”
“It opens up our inhibitions and gives us real opportunities to put [our thoughts into] words.”
“Often boys are let off the hook, but I think they should be mindful and learn about boundaries, especially in this day and age when lines are blurred and there’s so much to access online.”
“Can they do this in school for our children?”
“Taking the Birds & Bees course has boosted my confidence in tackling sex ed.”
Birds & Bees in the news
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- Dayre, 3 August 2020: “Let’s Talk: How should we teach kids about sex and feelings?”
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- The New Paper, 18 April 2019: “Survey shows that youth in Singapore lack knowledge of sexual health“
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- TODAY, 26 February 2019: “Teens can benefit from mutually respectful parent-child dialogues about sex“
Logo illustration and design by Jeremy Sim.