Resources for Parents + Families

Start Talking

Did you know that youth who have open and honest conversations with their families about sex and sexuality are more likely to delay sexual activity and use condoms and contraception when they become sexually active? Furthermore, the majority of teens say that they want to have conversations about sex with their parents or caregivers! Often it is the adult who get nervous having these conversations. Never fear! The Responsible Sex Education Institute is here to help!

Talk: Let's Get You Talking

Text the word TALK to 57890 to opt in to our free textline for parents, guardians, and caregivers (standard text messaging rates may apply). Once opted in, feel free to ask a question about how to respond to your youth or start a conversation with your youth and one of our Sexperts will respond to you within 24 hours! Looking for more resources and information, we’ve got you covered! “Like” our Facebook page to get helpful suggestions and resources on a regular basis. 

Take Our Survey

We want to hear from you! Please help the Responsible Sex Education Institute’s (RSEI) Outreach to Parents Taskforce by filling out the below survey. This survey is intended to capture the needs of parents and families by helping us determine what topics should be prioritized when creating/adapting Virtual Parent and Family programming. Do you prefer self-paced asynchronous learning modules that you can do on your own or do you prefer attending a virtual workshop session with other folks? Let us know!

The most influential factor is a young person’s life is the people they live with. Young people are receiving a lot of messages whether or not families and caregivers are having intentional conversations about sex and sexual health. Starting these conversations early and often can help young people make healthy decisions throughout their lives. This can feel uncomfortable or downright impossible for some families. We’re here to help. RSEI educators created the Talk is Power Workbook. This workbook brings together readings, activities, and resources that will help caregivers begin and/or improve communication about sex, sexual health, and sexuality with their families. This self-guided workbook is divided into seven sections that can be completed in any order, including: Sexuality 101, Exploring Values, Healthy Relationships, LGBTQ, and Sex & Tech. Some of the readings and worksheets are for caregivers to complete on their own and others are activities to do as a family.

RSEI Programs for Families

Navigating Tech Use

Audience: parents, guardians, or caregivers

In this workshop, participants explore risks and benefits of technology used by youth, discuss relevant laws and practical ways to help keep youth safe, and learn about resources for accessing medically accurate information about sexual health and sexuality. This workshop is offered as a 1.5 hour facilitator led session or a self-paced asynchronous lesson.

Due to COVID-19 Restrictions all facilitator led sessions will be virtual.

Families Talking Together (FTT)

Audience: parents, guardians, or caregivers

FTT is a parent-based intervention to prevent and/or reduce sexual risk behavior among Latinx and African American adolescents. The main components of the intervention are parent discussions with an interventionist and a family workbook designed to teach parents effective communication skills, improve parent-adolescent relationships, help parents develop successful monitoring strategies, and teach adolescents assertiveness and refusal skills. The program can be delivered to parents, guardians, or other trusted family members individually or in small group sessions, in a variety of settings.

Due to COVID-19 Restrictions all sessions will be virtual.

Talk is Power

Audience: parents, guardians, or caregivers

This workshop is designed to help parents and guardians build skills and gain resources to start talking about sex, sexuality, and sexual health with the youth/children in their lives. Participants will explore why it’s important to have these conversations, explore values clarification, and build the foundation for healthy communication through practicing answering tough questions exercises. This workshop is offered as a 1.5 hour facilitator led session.

Due to COVID-19 Restrictions all facilitator led sessions will be virtual. ​

Talk is Power for Families

Audience: families together

This workshop is designed to help families start talking about sex, sexuality, and sexual health. Together, adults and youth in their family unites will explore the barries to communication, values, and gain skills and resources to build the foundation for healthy communication through guided family discussions and activites. This workshop is offered as a 1.5 hour facilitator led session or a self-paced asynchronous lesson.

Due to COVID-19 Restrictions all facilitator led sessions will be virtual.