Campus Connection

Prof to share ways to talk about puberty

It’s hard for parents to talk with their children about puberty and sex. That’s one of the reasons the U.S. has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of industrialized nations. UW-La Crosse Assistant Professor of Health Education and Health Promotion Lori Reichel is trying to get more parents to talk with their children and youth about that topic. “You want to build a community with children sooner so they will come back to talk with you later in life,” she says. Reichel, who is known as the “Puberty Prof,” has written a book, “Prepping Parents for Puberty Talks: A Compilation of Over 500 Questions Children Ask with Child-Friendly Answers.” She also has created discussion cards to help parents ease into what many describe as difficult talk. Reichel says she works to empower parents to have effective talks with their children. “It’s not about sex, it’s about healthy discussion,” she explains. “It’s not meant to scare; it’s meant to inform.” The Puberty Prof hopes to make the serious discussion more light. “Talking to kids about puberty is fun,” she says. Reichel will share some of her tips with parents at a talk, “Prepping for Puberty Talks: An Interactive Discussion to Help Empower Parents from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the South library branch, 1307 16^th St. S., La Crosse. Admission is free. Some common questions children ask: Why do girls’ hips widen? Girls’ hips widen to create a woman’s body, so as a girl begins to grow taller, her body becomes proportionately wider. And, if she becomes pregnant, a woman’s wider hips allow more space to carry the baby inside her uterus. Why do a boy’s testicles hang outside his body? Because sperm need a slightly cooler temperature than a boys’ internal temperature, the testicles hang outside his body allowing them to be a littler cooler. Which are better to use: menstrual pads or tampons? Deciding to use a pad or tampon depends upon the girl, yet the majority of girls use pads when first getting their periods. When they are older, some use tampons or a combination of products. Do cats and dogs go through puberty? Cats and dogs go through their own types of growth cycles to become adult cats and dogs. If you think about it, when comparing the size of a kitten to a fully-grown cat, the cat is noticeably larger. Yet these pets do not have the same challenges of puberty. For example, pets do not experience pimples. The ‘Puberty Prof’ Lori A. Reichel is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Education and Health Promotion and Director of the School Health Education Programs at UW-La Crosse. The author of “Prepping Parents for Puberty Talks: A Compilation of Over 500 Questions Children Ask with Child-Friendly Answers” is currently doing research on parent-child communication about human sexuality topics, particularly those discussed with upper elementary school aged children. She is a former school health educator with more than 25 years of teaching experience. The New York State Health Teacher of the Year and National Health Education Professional of the Year has a sociology undergraduate degree with a minor in child and family studies from the State University of New York, Stony Brook; a master’s degree in school health education/liberal studies and administration certification from the same university; and a doctorate in health education from Texas A&M University. The book is available at local bookstores or on Amazon.com, https://www.amazon.com/Prepping-Parents-Puberty-Talks-Child-Friendly/dp/1491764503/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1475078130&sr=8-1&keywords=Lori+A+Reichel If you go— What: Prepping for Puberty Talks: An Interactive Discussion to Help Empower Parents Who: Puberty Prof Lori Reichel When: 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 Where: South library branch, 1307 16^th St. S., La Crosse Admission: Free