"My Body Is a temple"
KIDS ages 6-11. What does it mean to live a life of integrity? Kids will learn about their most holy place- the penis or vagina- and how to treat their body as a temple of God.
Take a moment to prepare yourself before sitting down together with your child. Pre-read the lesson, pray and reflect on the outcomes you wish to achieve. You may want to divide this lesson into two or even spread it out over several conversations. **Make sure to check out all the awesome links and resources at the bottom of the lesson!
**In this lesson children will learn more about their sexual organ. You as the parent can navigate whether you only want your child to learn about his or her private part or also the part of the opposite gender. We recommend that at some point children learn about both.
Each child develops differently. This lesson is for Kids 6-11. Feel free to use the lesson that best fits your child’s needs! *For a more introductory lesson click here
PURPOSE
My child will learn more about his or her sexual organ- the penis or vagina and how to live a life of integrity; treating our body as holy and a temple of God.
MATERIALS
A cozy spot to share together
This lesson
Pen and paper.
INSPIRATION
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
- Matthew 5.8
There are two kinds of sexual organs: male and female... Why were we given sexual organs? Because of Life, Love, Lineage and Conscience. Without going through that particular organ we cannot expect to have Life, Love, Lineage and Conscience.
- Sun Myung Moon
Though one should conquer a million men on the battlefield, yet he, indeed, is the noblest victor who has conquered himself.
- Dhammapada 103
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
ATTENTION GRABBER
Choose 1:
DRAW: A boy and a girl. Pair Share: Why do you think God created male and female? How are they similar? How are they complementary? What differentiates boys from girls? (discuss together and add notes to your drawing.)
WATCH: one of our SOL videos relevant to this lesson linked below.
INTRODUCTION
God had a very clear and beautiful purpose in mind when he created us male and female. In some ways we are similar in many ways we are almost like a different species! Lol. We all know that there’s one very clear thing that differentiates boys from girls. We may get shy, giggly or embarrassed to talk about it- because it’s an area on our body we hide and keep to ourselves. But it’s God’s natural design for our bodies and lives!
So today we will talk more about the penis (for boys) and the vagina (for girls). We will learn why they are important and how to treat our bodies as a temple of God.
*LEARNING MOMENT- READ TOGETHER:
When God first created Adam & Eve, they were naked in the garden and unashamed. Through mistakes that were made, they suddenly became ashamed of their bodies and started to cover their private areas with leaves. Today, we wear clothing not only to cover ourselves but also to keep our bodies clean, protected, and maybe to make a fashion style statement. But God’s original intention for creating humans- did not include us being so ashamed of our naked bodies.
Our bodies were beautifully crafted by God, our loving parent, down to every last detail. It’s amazing the way our brain sends signals through our nervous system; the way blood rushes through our veins; how our heart pumps and every sense and part of our body works in total harmony to help us experience this beautiful life! God created every little part of our body with a special purpose in mind and to work together to keep us alive. Isn’t that amazing?
God also created us to be in pairs. He created male- boys and female- girls. With the intention that one day that boy and girl will grow up, God will bless their marriage, and they will create a beautiful family and lineage one day through having children.
Did you know that your private parts are very holy and special? They will serve a special role one day in your future marriage and in the creation of new life- babies! Let’s learn some more about them. God gave us everything we need and some of it is inside of us where we can’t see it and some of it is outside. Feel free to look at appropriate diagrams for a visual:
GIRLS:
Let’s start with the female body. There are 3 main parts to the female reproductive system:
1. the vagina, a tube like tract that leads from the vulva or vaginal opening, to the cervix which is the gateway to the uterus.
2. The uterus, also called a womb, which holds the developing fetus (what will become a baby), and
3. The ovaries, which produce the female’s ova or ovum. Each female has 2 ovaries, like eggs that help you to grow a baby one day! Wow did you know that you have all of that inside your growing female body? Isn’t that amazing?
BOYS:
The male reproductive system is a series of organs located outside of the body around the pelvic region, the lower part of the body. There are 3 parts of male reproductive organs:
1. The testicles, sometimes referred to as balls, that are very sensitive and carry special little fluids in them called sperm, which will one day help you make a baby. These are held together by the scrotum, a pouch of skin.
2. The accessory glands including seminal vesicles, prostate glands that help carry the sperm fluid from one place to the next
3. The Penis used for going pee and also for depositing sperm.
You may have learned today that your private part is not only for going pee but will one day play an important role in the creation of new life- a baby! Isn’t that incredible? Therefore, it is considered the holiest organ in your body. Because it carries the seeds or eggs to one day create new life! And that is why we want to treat it with great care. Besides keeping ourselves clean- we also want to make sure we never play around with or touch our private areas.
Our private areas, for both boys and girls, are very sensitive to touch. It’s natural to be curious about this part of our body as it’s so unique. Little boys are often found playing with their penis in the bathtub. For girls it’s a little harder to learn and understand our anatomy- as it’s more concave- not as convex as a boy’s penis. Sometimes you may notice that it tickles or even feels good when you touch your private area while washing it in the tub. However, God asks us to treat these very special areas of our bodies like a temple.
God asks us to treat our bodies like a temple of God. What does this mean? We can do this by respecting ourselves and the space of others. Never touching ourselves or others in a way that makes us feel uncomfortable. God has a special purpose for your penis and vagina in your future marriage. But until marriage- God asks us to protect them and keep them holy- not touch or play with them. Though it may feel good or comforting to do so, it’s important to be careful with your private areas so that we do not create problems in the future. Sometimes it is tempting, but God has such an amazing and exciting plan for your private area- it is worth the wait. This is why it is important to not show our private areas, our bottoms or chest to other people.
You are a beautiful embodiment of God. And you deserve to be treated that way. God designed our bodies with every little detail in mind. Let us protect our bodies and keep them safe and healthy. As you grow up your body will start to evolve and change and grow with you. There are changes ahead. Believe it or not, your parents have been through it too! Always ask your parents (or another trusted adult) if you have questions. And for now, protect your body. Be cautious about the way you handle and care for your body. Dress in a way that respects your body. Create your own style with the colors and styles of clothes you like, making sure they properly cover the areas around your private body parts.
DISCUSSION
Use these questions to dig deeper or stimulate additional ongoing conversations:
How are you feeling?
What is something new you learned today?
Why did God create male and female so differently?
What is God’s plan for your body?
What does it mean to treat my body like a temple of God? Why do you think it’s important?
Do you have any questions about your private part?
What are ways we can respect and protect our own bodies? And respect others?
What questions do you have?
CONCLUSION
Congrats on taking time to learn more about your most holy organ! I know it can be uncomfortable sometimes as we don’t usually talk about it and it’s a very private space on your body. But God created it for a special purpose. Can you believe your private part will help create a new life one day? God is very creative and amazing. Let’s do our best to protect our penis and vagina- treat it with holiness and respect our bodies as a beautiful temple of God.
PRAYER
Dear God our loving parent, thank you for creating us out of love. You put so much thought, creativity and heart into every detail of your beautiful creation- us. Thank you for making us in your image male and female and giving us our very holy private parts. Help us to respect and protect our body and treat it as a temple of God. We love you and thank you for making our bodies so special!
Use these activities together with your child today and over the next month to create ongoing conversations. Click on the links:
**Note- Your child will most likely go to a Sex Ed field trip in Elementary School and attend Sexual Education Health classes later on during Jr. High & High School. Or they’ll hear about it from friends with elder siblings or relatives that may be knowledgeable about this or be exposed to sex from media. The age of children being exposed is getting younger and younger. Why not be your child’s first teacher on sexual education? It’s so important to be more aware so that you can be your child’s first teacher or at least catch it before they get too much erroneous information. Although your parents may not have done this with you- we encourage you to do your best to let go of the “awkward” and dig into learning together with your child so you can be the one to answer their questions! And present their penis or vagina in a God centered way. You’ve already gotten through most of the lesson! Use the resources below to continue learning. You’ve got this!
VIDEOS
SOL Animation- Sexual Integrity (recommended for children who know what sex is)
FOR YOUNGER KIDS:
FOR OLDER KIDS:
Human Physiology - Functional Anatomy of the Male Reproductive System by Janux
CRAFTS
Playdoh: Make a 3D diagram of the male and/or female reproductive organ and talk about the different parts. (Explain that this activity should only be done during this lesson with the parent)
JOURNAL
Creative Writing
Diagram: (Parent- find an appropriate image to use as a reference beforehand.) Have your child draw and label the different parts in their School of Love Journal.
Create a parent & child journal. Where the child can express without judgment their feelings and the parents can respond. Sometimes, it is easier and less confrontational to express oneself in writing.
EXPERIENCES
Museum: Visit a local science museum in person or virtually. Discover & learn about the human body together.
Go shopping: Pick an outfit together that makes your child feel beautiful while being age appropriate and respecting their body. Teach them how to physically care for their body and give a gift.
Care Kit: Gift your child a care kit for them to take care of their body including face soap, body soap, lotion, sponge, a facemask, hair brush etc. It’s important to take care of our body and treat it like a temple of God.
PARENT RESOURCES
Parent Blog on “Sexual Integrity” coming soon
