Special guest: a chat with SEA educator Rebecca about diversity in the family and classroom

In this wide-ranging discussion, Jenny speaks with one of our fabulous educators. Rebecca is in her fifth year working for Sex Education Australia. She is secondary-trained as a teacher and hadn’t taught sex ed before joining our company. While working with SEA, Rebecca has dabbled with all the grades but generally works in Year 5 and above, and at the secondary level. She has also done a bit of teacher training around inclusive language

We talk:

• Gender roles, parenting roles and balancing child care with ‘outside the home’ work
• How different families can be
• The idea of ‘lead’ or ‘primary’ carer
• The importance of listening, being exposed to perspectives we disagree with
• Rebecca gives a great explanation of sexual intercourse – ‘something that grown-ups can do with their bodies’. Rebecca’s 5 1⁄2 year old happy to leave it at that
• Advice to parents if have child asking to be called a different name or referring to themselves as a gender they weren’t assigned at birth. Some children are working out identity stuff really early

And there are so many great quotes from Rebecca:

‘Two years ago no [students] would have known the term ‘non binary’

‘The concepts are relatively simple, when you take the politics out of it’

‘If you talk about people’s feelings, and you don’t write anybody’s feelings off and everyone’s allowed to have their feelings and have their perspective in a way that doesn’t dehumanise other people, that’s the closest we can maybe come to taking the politics out’

‘ People who have daughters are really across this stuff... people who have sons think one of two things: ‘Oh he’s just a little baby still – sweet and innocent still, I don’t want to corrupt him’ or they think ‘well that’s just part of what it is to grow up to be a man and he’ll get through “gross puberty” and we’ll send him off and he’ll just get on with it.’

‘I’m coming across these boys like today, who follow me out of the room and say “Rebecca, thank you so much.” And look me in the eye. And they are so genuine because they have not had somebody chat with them about the basic functions of their body.’

‘The focus should be basic universal ideas around respect and consent’

‘We need more men around who can model masculinity in positive ways’

‘The idea that boys and men are unable to process their feelings without a woman – they need a sister or mum [to help them do that]’ . Idea from book Peggy Orenstein ‘Boys and Sex’

‘Talk to people that you respect and trust who are well-read and who understand what the best research and best practices are. Read books, talk with your partner if you have one, think about how it’s going to work in your broader family.’

Resources:

Boys and Sex – Peggy Orenstein

Ezra Klein Show on Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ezra-klein-show/id1548604447

Rainbow Family Playgroups

Billie B Brown and Hey Jack – Sally Rippin and Aki Fukuoka

Anything by Cory Silverberg
Visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au to browse our pages for more resources, information and support.
Send us questions or comments to [email protected]
Thanks for listening!
Jenny + Justine