This is an installment of the Stories Teachers Share podcast. Listen above or on iTunes to hear how the story unfolds.
For boys, the world of puberty is often a silent one when it comes to having meaningful conversations with their dads or adult caregivers. Discussions about growing up are often lacking because guys can feel nervous and uncomfortable talking with one another. Dads may have also experienced embarrassment talking about puberty in their own adolescence.
Health educator Dr. Rob Lehman hopes to change the conversation around puberty by empowering dads and demonstrating helpful ways to talk about sex and puberty. He teaches adolescent boys about the changes in their bodies and behaviors, but he also role models answers to help dads feel better about having conversations about puberty at home.
Learn more about how one dad lets his son know he’s open to conversations about sex and puberty and how Dr. Rob’s class helped inform future discussions. You’ll also hear how Dr. Rob addresses boys’ wide-ranging concerns about puberty, including myths about masturbation. Here are some of the questions he typically gets in class:
How many zits on average does a boy get?
How do you know when sex will make a baby?
How long does sex take?
How many times do you usually have to have sex before a baby comes?
Is it normal to smell for a couple of months and then have the smell go away?
