12 Principles of Sex Education

The objectives of this book and of this website revolve around giving you, the parent, the tools you need to instill in your child a distinctively Christian sexual character. We hope, in this way, that you will be able to equip your children to make godly and wise decisions about their sexuality in their teenage years. We also hope, just as importantly, that you will lay the foundations for them to experience the blessings of God’s gift of sexuality as a mature and responsible adult, whether married or single.

The big picture of this book and the entire God’s Design for Sex series is of parents and children in an ever-expanding and deepening conversation about our sexuality. This conversation helps to draw you and your child together and helps to deepen your child’s faith in the goodness and love of God.

Consider the principles again:

Principle 1: Sex education is the shaping of character.

Principle 2: Parents are the principal sex educators.

Principle 3: First messages are the most potent.

Principle 4: We should seize those “teachable moments” and become “askable” parents.

Principle 5: Accurate and explicit messages are best.

Principle 6: Positive messages are powerful.

Principle 7: Stories are powerful teaching tools.

Principle 8: You can and must “inoculate” your children against destructive beliefs.

Principle 9: Repetition is critical; repetition is really, really important.

Principle 10: Close, positive, and balanced parent-child relationships are crucial.

Principle 11: Sexuality is not everything; keep your perspective.

Principle 12: Our God can forgive, heal, and redeem anything.

Some content taken from HOW AND WHEN TO TELL YOUR KIDS ABOUT SEX, by Stan and Brenna Jones. Copyright © 1993, 2007, 2019. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. To purchase books in the GOD’S DESIGN FOR SEX book series, go to https://www.navpress.com.