"Mummy, where do babies come from?"
"Mummy, where do babies come from?" For some of us as parents, this is a question we dread. It can result in an uncomfortable silence as we scramble to consider how we will respond. What information will we share and what can we say without turning several shades of red ourselves?
I recall as a boy asking my parents this question. We were on our bi-annual three-day drive from my hometown to visit my grandparents on the east coast. When I asked them I knew they had nowhere to go to avoid answering my question. I still remember the long silence that followed my question, but eventually they responded (I think).
Growth and development are an essential part of the pastoral care and teaching and learning program here at Prince Alfred College. Taking the boys through the biological and physiological changes they will experience as they grow up is the responsibility of both parents and the College.
We started addressing the question of where babies come from by hosting a parents and boys session lead by KidzBiz, a growth and development specialist organisation. They shared with the boys the differences in the reproductive systems for men and women. They lead the boys through the 'facts of life', explaining the process from conception to birth. While there were some giggles from the boys and more than a few blushed faces from the parents, the session allowed the boys to ask questions and understand conception.
A workshop followed this session for boys and their parents from Year 6. It focussed on puberty and the changes both boys and girls will experience as they mature. Again, the boys had many questions and were happy to share their knowledge as they explored what lies ahead of them over the next few years.
KidzBiz will visit classes to deliver in-class lessons with the boys in Year 4 to Year 6 to discuss the reproductive system, conception, and puberty. In addition to these growth and development sessions, the Year 5 boys will also learn about personal and cyber safety as well as how to be safe online.
The education of our boys in this critical area should not sit just with parents or just with the College. It is a topic that we approach as a partnership. We must work together with families to share how the boys’ bodies will change as they grow. We will introduce and explore the topics at school, but boys may go home with more questions and a desire to share what they have learned. Parents should engage with their children on this topic and work with us to provide the boys with the vital information they need to better understand how they will mature in the years to come.
John Stewart
Head of Preparatory School