tinytherese Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 (edited) So does anyone have any advice for what content would be appropriate for a chastity talk for this age group? At this age they're so giggly when you even say the word, "sex" and these girls live in a small town in the bible belt area so they might be rather sheltered. (This is a secular talk by the way.) Yes, I have looked at the pure love club site for tips on how to give a talk but it really didn't get specific about this age group except for that more props and audience interaction is needed because of their short attention spans. I may or may not be doing this by myself. I'm seeing if any of the other girls on my college campus will help me with this. I thought that we could work in at least one funny skit but I don't want to give these young girls content that they're not prepared for or present them something that will get my group banned from ever speaking there again. So any advice on content, possible ideas for funny skits, props, and audience interaction will be much appreciated. Edited September 2, 2008 by tinytherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havok579257 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 [quote name='tinytherese' post='1645603' date='Sep 2 2008, 05:17 PM']So does anyone have any advice for what content would be appropriate for a chastity talk for this age group? At this age they're so giggly when you even say the word, "sex" and these girls live in a small town in the bible belt area so they might be rather sheltered. (This is a secular talk by the way.) Yes, I have looked at the pure love club site for tips on how to give a talk but it really didn't get specific about this age group except for that more props and audience interaction is needed because of their short attention spans. I may or may not be doing this by myself. I'm seeing if any of the other girls on my college campus will help me with this. I thought that we could work in at least one funny skit but I don't want to give these young girls content that they're not prepared for or present them something that will get my group banned from ever speaking there again. So any advice on content, possible ideas for funny skits, props, and audience interaction will be much appreciated.[/quote] Here is the one thing I have to say on this and I hope you take it to heart. Do NOT dumb it down or talk to them like they are children about this subject or they will ignore whatever you. Treat the kids as adults and talk to them as an adult. Now I am not saying use all the same lingo or going in as in-depth as you would adults, but do not codale them or talk down to them on the subject or talk to them like they are not old enough to understand these things. If you treat kids like they are responsible people, they will listen to you. If you dumb it down for them, then they will ignore whatever you are saying because to them, you are not showing them respect. Also no skits. The minute you do this stuff, the kids will think you are babying them. Just treat them like you would your own kids when talking about serious subjects. Talk to them what is right and wrong and why. Also, do NOT use cute names for sexual parts, use the correct medical terms. Sure, at first the kids will giggle, but eventually they will see this as you treating them with respect and not dumbing it down for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prose Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 People even giggle at marriage prep courses when we talk about NFP. It is a normal reaction. I have found acknowledging it early and mentioning it in a lighthearted way: "Yes, I said 'penis' get your giggles out now because I will probably say it again. I will also probably say 'vagina', 'sex', etc. etc." I found that works fairly well. Yeah, I totally agree about not dumbing it down, but certainly do not approach them like adults. They are not adults. They are young kids who don't have the same developed cognitive abilities as an adult. Respect them, but don't go into graphics... Would you want someone getting too graphic talking to YOUR 12/13 year old?? Jason Evert has got great stuff on this too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinkerlina Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Hi, Well, from what I remeber of my days in that age group my main pet peeve from adults giving these kinds of presentations was that they always tried really hard to be cool and use a lot of slang, etc. I think being honest, straightforward and talking to them on your level is most important. Audience participation, eh-honestly, I'm not a huge fan of it b/c it tends to make shy people feel uneasy. If it's totally volunteer based, fine but please don't call on the quiet kids! Haha! Kudos to you for taking this on! You're sincere and believe what you're telling them and I think kids can pick up on that! -Katie [quote name='tinytherese' post='1645603' date='Sep 2 2008, 06:17 PM']So does anyone have any advice for what content would be appropriate for a chastity talk for this age group? At this age they're so giggly when you even say the word, "sex" and these girls live in a small town in the bible belt area so they might be rather sheltered. (This is a secular talk by the way.) Yes, I have looked at the pure love club site for tips on how to give a talk but it really didn't get specific about this age group except for that more props and audience interaction is needed because of their short attention spans. I may or may not be doing this by myself. I'm seeing if any of the other girls on my college campus will help me with this. I thought that we could work in at least one funny skit but I don't want to give these young girls content that they're not prepared for or present them something that will get my group banned from ever speaking there again. So any advice on content, possible ideas for funny skits, props, and audience interaction will be much appreciated.[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Thanks everyone. I'll defininitely keep these tips in mind. I've seen Jason's talk multiple times before both the religious and secular versions. He even came to my high school a few years ago. He and his wife have a wicked cool tv show on EWTN. Any tips on how to begin this seminar? Not something lame or awkward like, "Hi, I'm here to talk to you about sex." The theme will be along the lines of Crystalina Evert's booklet "Pure Womanhood" and building these ladies up for finding true love instead of the counterfeit. The central aspect of the seminar day in general will be about self-esteem so I thought that this theme fit perfectly. Please pray for me, anyone else who will be helping out with this talk, the girls, and their families. I've done public speeches before but only ones that lasted a few minutes and they didn't have nearly as big of an impact as this upcoming one. This could actually change a lot of people's lives and I don't want to mess this up. I have less than a month to get this ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 A few years back, I wrote an article for the Florida Catholic about teens, chastity and dating. While I was referring primarily to the high school teens I spend the bulk of my time with, I feel that it also applies to the pre-teens you will be speaking to, particularly given the fact that so many middle school age children are having sex or engaging in "outercourse." Anyway, here it is. Use it or discard it. God bless! [quote]I had one long-term, serious relationship in high school. It began when I was a junior and lasted until half way through my freshman year of college. In some respects it was a very convenient, fulfilling relationship—it was with a girl whom I had known for a long time, whose family I was close to. She was beautiful, respectful, loving, affectionate, funny…all the things a guy could want. On the other hand, she was substantially less mature than I. This fact became evident whenever we would have a fight: I would want to talk things out, and she would want to sweep everything under a rug and pretend it didn’t happen. On the whole, we had very poor communication and the conversations we did have lacked any real substance. Our relationship became focused only on the physical acts of “love” that we experienced together. And eventually, when I moved away to college, this aspect disappeared, leaving us with only our poor communication to sustain us through a chaotic time. Consequently, we ended our relationship after 2 and a half years. I feel that this is typical of most high school relationships. They exist without any real substance, instead becoming fascinated and preoccupied with sex. The boy and girl face tremendous social pressure in terms of when certain landmarks are achieved in the relationship: the first kiss, the first time they say “I love you,” the first time they have sex, etc. It all seems preordained, from the outset. Sadly, this perpetuates the sort of shallow, emotionally-crippled relationships that are often found in high school. Quite simply, young teenagers are not mature enough to sustain a serious, healthy relationship at such a young age. They are still experiencing turmoil hormonally, still coming into their own intellectually, and still becoming aware of their sexuality. Often times, they lack the spiritual foundation to differentiate between lust, infatuation, and love, resulting in the confusion of the first two for the latter. While it is true that dating provides the young teenager with the opportunity to learn about the inner-workings of the opposite sex, it is not exclusively so—any interpersonal relationship will provide the same experience.[/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fides quarens intellectum Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Here's something a friend of mine came up with when i was in the same situation as you last year (middle schoolers were never my "thing"): To begin the talk, pass out a bunch of shiny gift bows that they either have to wear in their hair or on their shirts. They are not allowed to take them off during the whole talk. Then, use that prop a few minutes later, after you have begun your talk, as a way to discuss the special gift they each have been given. Of course, they keep the bows as a reminder after the talk. Sounds silly, but totally works. Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kujo Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 [quote name='fides quarens intellectum' post='1645904' date='Sep 2 2008, 11:59 PM']Here's something a friend of mine came up with when i was in the same situation as you last year (middle schoolers were never my "thing"): To begin the talk, pass out a bunch of shiny gift bows that they either have to wear in their hair or on their shirts. They are not allowed to take them off during the whole talk. Then, use that prop a few minutes later, after you have begun your talk, as a way to discuss the special gift they each have been given. Of course, they keep the bows as a reminder after the talk. Sounds silly, but totally works. Best of luck to you! [/quote] Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Interesting idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazor Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Just a warning: I am from a very, very, very small town and NO ONE was sheltered. Even the kids from *gasp* Catholic school knew what is going on. Some of the kids had already started sleeping with each other by the time they were 14. Jut give it to them straight... as someone else said NO SKITS! Skits are the kiss of death because no one takes them seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abercius24 Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 Bring a video of an ultrasound and help them see all the detail of the baby. That seems to make the beauty and reality of pregnancy come alive for young girls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 (edited) Good story Kujo, I'll use it. Edited September 4, 2008 by tinytherese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud2BCatholic139 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament... It is highly recommended before giving talks!!! May the Holy Spirit be with you always! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fides quarens intellectum Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote name='Proud2BCatholic139' post='1647161' date='Sep 4 2008, 09:28 AM']Spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament... It is highly recommended before giving talks!!! May the Holy Spirit be with you always![/quote] right on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 [quote name='fides quarens intellectum' post='1647163' date='Sep 4 2008, 10:29 AM']right on.[/quote] I second that motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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