1. March is National Talk with Your Kids about Sex Month
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The goal of National Talk with Your Teen about Sex Month is to reduce misinformation and guide them towards making responsible, informed decisions based on your family's values. Even pre-teens--kids from ages 8 to 12--may have questions about sex and relationships that you can answer. Talking early and often with your kids can reduce the chance that they will take part in risky behavior. Plus, they will be more likely to seek your advice throughout their teen years and beyond.

For information on youth and sexuality, visit:
* http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/index.htm

For tips on Talking with Kids about Sex, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/sex.html

2. Initiate Conversations: Use Current Events to Talk with Your Kids
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An important tip from the Talking with Kids campaign: initiate conversations. While we want our kids to feel good about coming to us with questions, that doesn't always happen. That's why we sometimes need to begin discussions ourselves. Often we can use opportunities that come up in everyday life to help us start talking. For example, recent news broadcasts about substance abuse in the Olympics could lead to a useful talk about the dangers of drugs and the importance of teamwork. Just one or two questions about a TV show could help start a valuable discussion.

For a list of Ten Tips for Talking with Kids, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/first.html

For information on Talking about the News, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/television/twk-news.html

3. Talking with Kids Featured in Parenting Magazine [return to top]

The March 2002 issue of Parenting Magazine features comments by Lois Salisbury, former Children Now President, about the importance of talking early with kids about drugs. As Talking with Kids research has shown, kids as young as eight may be ready for such a discussion. And, they want to hear information from you, the parent. As a parent, you have a wonderful chance to talk with your children about tough issues first, before anyone else can confuse them with the wrong information, or perspectives that lack your family's values. By the time they reach the teen years, children tend to look to their friends and the media for information about issues like sex, violence, drugs and tobacco.

Read the article, entitled "Valuable Guidance," at:
* http://www.parenting.com/parenting/article/article_general/0,8266,6900,00.html

Visit the Parenting Magazine Web site at:
* http://www.parenting.com/parenting/index.html

For more information on talking about drugs, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/drugs.html

4. New Resource Added to TWK Directory [return to top]

This month the TWK Web site has a new addition in its resource directory. Long Island Association for AIDS Care, Inc. (LIAAC) is a regional community-based, not-for-profit agency delivering comprehensive programs to all Long Islanders infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. LIAAC's driving philosophy is to provide a stable and comprehensive safety net that ensures its services reach the many diverse communities of Nassau and Suffolk.

The Talking with Kids Web Team always accepts recommendations for useful sites. Suggested sites should be content (as opposed to product) oriented, easy to navigate, credible and related to the TWK topics of sex, drugs and alcohol, violence and HIV/AIDS. Visit the link below to suggest a site!

To suggest a resource for the TWK Directory, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/local-add.html

Visit the TWK Resource Directory at:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/local.html

For tips about Talking with Kids about HIV/AIDS, visit:
* http://www.talkingwithkids.org/aids.html

Visit the LIAAC Web site at:
* http://www.liaac.org/

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