The Puberty Talk

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Hi all!

I'm a first year certified school nurse and I'll be giving the puberty talk today to the fifth grade girls (I have a male teacher that agreed to cover the boys).

I have a video that covers a majority of the discussion for me, but wanted to see if any of you had any words of advice? Are any of you in charge of the puberty talk? What kinds of questions were you asked that I should prepare myself for?

Thank you!

Specializes in School Nurse, past Med Surge.
"Nocturnal emissions"

I about had a coronary when I was watching the preview video before my oldest saw it!!! I was sitting with some friends & our jaws all dropped & we just looked at each other like - didn't think they would go there in 4th grade!!

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I read all my Judy Blume books by the time I was 11. Thanks, Ms. Bloom!

"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret..."

was every girl's thing.

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I read all my Judy Blume books by the time I was 11. Thanks, Ms. Bloom!

"Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret..."

was every girl's thing.

LOVED Judy Blume!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
I about had a coronary when I was watching the preview video before my oldest saw it!!! I was sitting with some friends & our jaws all dropped & we just looked at each other like - didn't think they would go there in 4th grade!!

This^^

When I was in 4th grade in the 80s, in 4th grade "sex-Ed", we learned about our own bodies physical developmental changes and discussed menstruation.

When my own daughter was in 4th grade, I asked to preview the sex Ed video. I turned it on in front of my little young babies. I assumed it would be filled with medical terms.

Uh, no. It showed a cartoon drawn member changing from flaccid to erect and showed how to put a condom on.

I turned it off quickly.

I let her participate in the sex Ed, though I didn't approve of the content because I knew all the kids on the playground would have seen it and I couldn't shelter her.

But I can't say that I approved of that content, personally, for my 9 year old.

Shout out to all the school nurses and teachers who are teaching this challenging topic.

I've only taught sex Ed to adults in a psych unit. That was relatively easy, in comparison.

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I had to give My Big Boy The Talk in 4th grade when he was studying asexual reproduction and asked what sexual reproduction was.

I said "member into lady parts" to him.

He asked many questions and then said... "So, I just walk up to a girl and announce: I'm going to do this to you! ???"

Noooooooo!!!

I was in waaaaaay over my head.

I'm assuming he told his brother, because I was not going there again.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I said "member into lady parts" to him.

He asked many questions and then said... "So, I just walk up to a girl and announce: I'm going to do this to you! ???"

Noooooooo!!!

I was in waaaaaay over my head.

.

Hilarious!!!

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I have always felt amused and, at times, dismayed at how much some people can work themselves to a near frenzy when considering having to approach sexual health and imparting knowledge to younger minds. Not everyone, by any means, is like that but enough to make me wonder what that says about their own position and attitude toward sexuality. That being said, I also understand there is certainly a lot of misinformation and just plain silliness being tossed around. Call it taboo or religious bias; it all amounts to the same to me: people not being comfortable with the topic of sex.

Speaking from personal experience, I can honestly say that Sex Ed has always been something I've taken for granted. I went to public school and my education started quite early (3rd grade if I remember correctly). What was perhaps different for me and other kids of my generation is that Sex Ed was worked into the curriculum to allow new and relevant content (age appropriate, of course) added each new year.

Classes were always mixed (none of that "girl talk" vs. "boy talk" nonsense) and questions were always answered as truthfully as possible without promoting any agenda or ideal. To this day, I still remember the "class" we had in 7th grade. The school nurse (whom I thought was the coolest woman ever! Just sayin') gave it. It was a lot of fun. Her "trick" was to approach this like there's no big deal. Everybody has genitals, might as well know how to use them and care for them. She had a custom made snakes and ladders board games. Except that the snakes weren't snakes. The idea behind it is that the board was literally covered with sexual factoid (make learning fun). The winner of the game would be given a handful of condoms as prize.

[For the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that I remember this nurse fondly mostly because she had a rather impressive bosom. Don't ask me what her name was, but I sure remember that about her. And yes, I plead guilty. What can i say? I was 14yo and horny. As I have seen written by another youth and immortalized online to his greatest shame: Do not ask me to explain. I admit nothing; I regret nothing!]

Dany

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Pituitary

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"If you are pregnant can the baby reach down and grab my member during sex?"

-Far's hub.

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Specializes in IMC, school nursing.
"If you are pregnant can the baby reach down and grab my member during sex?"

-Far's hub.

That is not a visual you want stuck in your head.

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Cockstop

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Hymen

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