I've been thinking a lot about child development and the connection it has to sex education. They really are intertwined, more than we probably think. As a person who has taught toddlers for the last six years, I've tried to implement a variety of teaching methods that actually connect to my take on sex education. I personally think that these methods should be used by all teachers, but I do understand that it maaay be seen as an opinion, too.
The biggest thing I teach kids is about consent! There are soooo many opportunities of teaching little ones about their own bodies and also using their words to express their feelings. For example, a popular interaction between toddlers is taking toys away from each other - ohhh, the amount of times I have heard kids cry and say, "They took my toy!!!" I always jump at the opportunity to teach them to ASK, always ask if someone is using something or if they are done. When children think that they can just snatch someone's item without their consent, they may learn that the other people's feelings don't matter and everything can be their's. Obviously, this isn't productive for kids to learn and also it can teach them about empathy - how does this make the other person feel?
Continuing on with consent, another big teaching moment is when kids hug other kids without their consent - some of them don't mind, but others get distraught. Even when the receiving hug child seems to enjoy the hug, I always remind them that they have to ask before hugging another person. It's a great opportunity to let them know that they need to ask other people if it is okay to give them a hug, a kiss on the cheek, etc...so that the other person can make a decision and their feelings can be validated. I always hear about how some of us were forced to hug or kiss family members against our will and if this continues, it teaches us that our words or feelings don't matter. If no one teaches us otherwise, this mentality may continue throughout our lives. It is so important for children to learn about their body autonomy early so that as they grow, they know they can make their own decisions based on how they feel or how comfortable they are.
Another way of involving sex education curriculum into child development is using gender neutral words. Y'know trans and non-binary folks have been around forever, they have just been erased by colonization and the Western mind. It's now time to teach the new generations that the gender binary is fake and that they do not have to follow the set of reals that society gives them based on their gender. I try to use they/them pronouns all the time with animals, toys, or characters in a book because genuinely, we don't know their gender! When the adults use this language, children will pick up on it without us even telling them to. Another example is if a little boy wants to use a pink toy or a toy that most girls use - let them. They are exploring what they like and they have a right to do that! I have had little girls tell other boys that they can't use a certain toy because "it's for girls." This is another teaching moment - we gotta take the time to explain to them that it's just a toy and that anyone can use it! (I know I used the gender binary here, it's just a bit easier to explain and I have seen this happen in real life).
All of these teaching moments can make such an impact on children's lives and let them choose who they want to be. There are so many other ways sex education and child development go hand in hand, but these are just a few examples. The reason I write this is because that's why sex education is important for everyone - it can teach us to accept our bodies and guide us in our true selves and it can start so young! Thanks for reading!!
