Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 169
169 APPENDIX 4 HYGIENE, PUBERTY AND SEX EDUCATION Today our children face a new and very different social environment than what we may have known in our youth. They are confronted, from an alarmingly young age, with information about rituals of dating, sexual behavior and alternative lifestyles. The latent messages and attitudes towards sex they receive with this information are incompatible with the Islamic attitude and teachings about sex. While children receive scientific information in health classes, these classes are devoid of moral teaching or guidelines. Exposure to this information without counter-information and counseling from Ahmadi Muslim parents continues to have adverse effects on our young children and our youth in the Jama ’ at. As a result of cultural taboos and discomfort, many Ahmadi Muslim parents do not take on the responsibility of educating their children in this regard. Sadly, many of our children are thus left unprotected and unprepared for the intense immorality they must encounter on a daily basis. The following guidelines have been developed with the sole intent of assisting parents in reaching out to their children regarding education about puberty and sex. Some suggestions and advice for parents are outlined with the goal of encouraging and supporting them. Insha ’ Allah, parents will understand the urgency and importance of carrying out this delicate part of their responsibility, realizing that, just as we immunize our children against disease, teach them to pray, provide nutrition and education for them, and protect them from strangers, we must not fail in this critical duty to prepare them for life and for the society they live in. How to Talk to Your Children About Puberty and Sex Look for cues that your child might be ready for information. (Most