SELINSGROVE – A Valley organization is hosting an upcoming workshop promoting sexual health education. Transitions is holding a Care for Kids workshop on Tuesday, February 7, preparing parents, caregivers, and early childhood educators to be proactive in preventing sexual abuse.
Eckie Friar, an education specialist at Transitions, was a recent guest on WKOK Sunrise where she talked about the program, “It’s just a way to teach parents about a very healthy, natural approach to nurturing a healthy sexuality in children. This just lifts that shame and secrecy and silence that so often happen because we’re uncomfortable talking about those kinds of things with our kids.”
Friar says it’s best to start teaching sexual health education at an early age, “Just when you’re teaching your kids where their nose, eyes, and their mouth are, you’re also teaching them the names for their other parts as well. You are teaching them to keep certain parts private and other parts are public. By teaching this from early up, they’re then very comfortable with their bodies.”
Originally designed for schools, Friar says the workshop is better suited for parents, “The program is a seven session program and it’s developed for schools, but we’re giving it to parents. We believe that when parents start practicing this at home, it makes it a lot more comfortable for the kids. It’s people that they have those trusting relationships with.”
Transition’s Care for Kids workshop will take place on Tuesday, February 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Selinsgrove. On-site child care and a meal will be provided. Registration is preferred and can be completed at www.transitionsofpa.org. You can listen to Eckie Friar’s full WKOK Sunrise interview online at www.wkok.com. (Alex Reichenbach)
