Puberty Power Up

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Parents are crucial when it comes to the education of their children. Conversations at home – about puberty and other ‘life’ topics – are so important for children’s development, health and safety. Puberty Power Up will help parents support their children learning about puberty. The course is 80-90 minutes of online learning, designed for children aged 10-12.

A bit about our organisation:

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[[in overview: mention Puberty Plus – Puberty power Up is a core course focusing only on puberty, and is good for children who haven’t learned about puberty or who need a refresher. For children who already know the basic puberty content, Puberty Plus will be more suitable as it expands on 11 additional topics… link here to Puberty Plus purchase page]]

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Watch the video below for parents/caregivers, where SEA co-founder Jenny Ackland introduces the Puberty Power Up online course.

(What we don’t cover in Puberty Power Up: sex and reproduction, gender identity, sexuality and other related topics. You can find those topics covered in Puberty Plus.)

As a parent, I’ve been anxious and unsure as to how to have some of these conversations with my 11 year old son. This program is a fabulous educational tool to help us parents with the right language to use and how to properly explain these body changes in a clear and concise manner.

I have read some puberty related books together with my son in the past, but having the videos with someone talking you through all of these new and confusing changes was a much better way to be educated. – Jo, mother of Ethan (11 years old)

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I learnt a lot of new stuff and it was easy to understand. I liked watching it at home with my mum. – Lucy, 10 years old

Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus were the perfect way to introduce my 10 year old daughter to many important topics. We were able to take our time, stop and rewatch sections and chat openly about different facts. It was fantastic to be able to have all the information in front us (whilst sitting comfortably on the couch!) and the program has helped ease my daughter’s worries about puberty and other, often ’embarrassing’ topics. Would definitely recommend! – Sarah, parent of two

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Puberty Plus was good because it has more information than the puberty book I’ve read. It was easy to go through the lessons because the videos were short and I could watch a little bit at a time. I like how you can choose the areas that you’re interested in. – Marcus, 11 years old

The Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus programs helped to bridge gaps in my son’s knowledge of puberty, reproduction, relationships, safety and differences. The information is age-appropriate, clear, concise and easy to navigate. Having watched the videos myself, I now feel more prepared to continue conversations about these topics with my child. – Christine, parent of two children

Thanks to all the wonderful people who have created this program and the fantastic teachers who present it. – Primary school principal

Pitched at the perfect level.  – Year 6 Teacher, Canterbury Primary

It is a superb program. – Year 5 teacher, Camberwell Grammar School

We highly recommend this program. The SEA teachers are able to easily connect and build rapport with all students. – Year 5-6 Teacher, Glen Iris Primary School

I wanted to pass on how impressed I was with the delivery of the information and the topics covered. Having heard her way of explaining things, I also feel more prepared to address questions that come my way from students. – Year 5-6 classroom teacher

I loved how respectful relationships, child safety and protective behaviours as well as different types of families were interwoven in the education program. – Year 5 teacher, Cornish College

The educators were wonderful and made the students feel super calm and comfortable while learning about the changes they may go through. – Teacher, Parkdale Primary

Thank you for considering Puberty Power Up and Puberty Plus. We hope that if you purchase one or both of these courses, you’ll find them a help and support for your family.

Jenny + Justine

1. My school doesn’t offer puberty education. What should I do?

‘Puberty Power Up’ online learning is designed to complement sex education programs at your child’s school.  If your child’s school isn’t offering puberty education, it’s your right as a parent/caregiver to talk to the school about this. It is compulsory for Prep to Year 10 students in government schools to receive this type of education – not just puberty topics but all the other topics that are listed for each year level in the ‘Catching on early‘ document and ‘Catching on later’ for secondary. Independent schools have their own curriculum in this area, and you can certainly check in with a school to see what they offer across the school years. We know that the best results happen when schools and families are working together for the support of child’s well-being, safety, health and happiness.

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2. When should I start talking to my child about puberty?

It’s important that parents show they are available to talk to their children and ask questions from a young age, because if they don’t it can send the message to the child that these things are not talked about in this family, and they will go elsewhere for their information. They will hear things from other children that may be inappropriate or incorrect. They will see and hear things on the internet, in films and TV and in other forms of media. When they don’t have a trusted adult to talk to they can be left alone to manage and vulnerable to the influences of other people, other children and older children.  Puberty is starting earlier with some children as young as eight years old experiencing puberty changes. It’s important to speak to young children about the natural body changes of puberty before they experience them so that they can be prepared and have information about managing the changes. We recommend parents start talking to their young people in Years 3-4 about puberty with a simple introductory conversation, and if they are asking questions before then you may decide it’s appropriate to answer their questions or buy a book that you can read together. And it’s not just puberty that parents need to talk to their children about; there’s body safety, correct terms for private and reproductive anatomy, consent, respect, and where babies come from (human reproduction) as well. You know your child best, and whether they are asking a lot of questions or not. When a child doesn’t ever ask questions it can be more challenging for parents as it’s important to make sure they have access to accurate, age-appropriate information – books can be great in this instance. You can check our website for a list of books for children.

‘Puberty Power Up’ is designed for young people aged 10-12.

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3. Do you talk about gender in the learning program?

‘Puberty Power Up’ refers to bodies using the concept of biological sex (such as female and male bodies), and avoids gendered terms. For parents who want their child to engage with puberty education that includes gender, we have the ‘Puberty Power Up PLUS’ option, ‘Gender identity’’ which includes a brief explanation of gender and how gender identity might change during childhood or puberty (or even later).

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4. How do you account for cultural differences around how physical changes of puberty are managed?

Regardless of culture or background all children need to know the information. It’s a human right and a big part of helping children grow up safely and healthily and happily

As part of our section on managing the changes of puberty, the program notes there are different cultural expectations around managing the changes of puberty body hair and different families may have different values about it, and that parent or carer will likely speak to them about this. 

We also suggest parents watch through the video content before their children start learning—you know your child best and will be the best judge of the kinds of content suited to your family values.

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5. Why do you use scientific terminology for private parts?

Learning about the reproductive system is an essential part of a child’s ‘body science’ education, and the experience should be similar to learning about any other system. It encourages children to develop a positive relationship with their body and the confidence to navigate the changes of puberty. Finally, a child knowing the correct terms for private body parts has a protective effect; we know that abusers or predators can sometimes test children about what they know to do with bodies. If a child isn’t confident using the correct terms, and uses slang or other terms for the private body parts, that can be an indication that they haven’t been taught, and therefore may not have a close connected relationship with a trusted adult. This might mean that the child is isolated and therefore vulnerable to abuse.

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We’ve created ‘Puberty Power Up’ with the accessibility of a diverse range of learners in mind. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken: