Speaking Events
Event description
The full Beyond Birds & Bees program includes 4 sessions:
parents of children ages 2-kindergarten
parents of children 1st-3rd grade
parents of children 4th-6th grade
parents of children 7th-9th grade
The full program gives parents the most information — the content is specific to what they are experiencing with their children, each group gets sufficient time to discuss their unique needs and questions, and parents have the option of attending multiple sessions.
Heidi can also prepare a one-session event for parents of any specific age group.
What’s in the program?
Heidi tailors the content of the program to meet your group’s specific needs. A typical program starts with research on child development to help parents understand what their children already know, how children process and understand information about the world around them, and then that research is connected to topics related to sex and sexual development. For example, with parents of preschoolers Heidi talks a lot about how families communicate about body parts, privacy, and the big "where do babies come from?" question that many parents struggle to answer. She helps parents understand what age-appropriate responses are to that question and other common questions like that.
The goal in every session is to help parents feel more confident communicating with their children about topics that are often taboo or uncomfortable. Research is clear that parents who talk with their children about sex (and this means body parts, privacy, sexual development, and sexual behaviors) from an early age have a great impact on helping their children make "sexually healthy decisions" (delaying the onset of sexual behaviors, making informed and confident decisions about their body, etc).
For parents of older children (elementary school through middle school), the program also discusses how to communicate about puberty, dating, and ultimately sexual behaviors. There are specific topics Heidi covers in each program, and she always allow time for parents to ask questions.
Additional topics
Heidi can also speak to your group about:
» Gender identity and sexuality
» Navigating current cultural issues
» How to identify your values
» Technology and Pornography
» Deconstructing our own sexual identity, messages, and experiences
Virtual Events
Heidi loves to travel and speak with groups, but hosting a Beyond Birds and Bees event virtually is also a great option! Heidi can work with multiple virtual settings to deliver the same great content in a way that is just as informative and fun as when she presents in person. Wondering if this is a good option for your group?