Every year on 1 June, the United Nations marks Global Day of Parenting, a day to recognise the fundamental role parents play in nurturing and protecting their children. This year, we want to use the occasion to talk about something that sits right at the heart of that role: Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE).
If you’re a parent of a secondary school student, you may have heard the term RSHE and wondered exactly what it means, and how you can continue the conversations in RSHE lessons at home. Parents and carers’ involvement helps to embed the knowledge and skills covered in RSHE, contributes to young people’s overall wellbeing and can support a positive parent-child relationship too.
What is RSHE, and why does it matter?
RSHE stands for Relationships, Sex and Health Education. You might also hear it referred to as PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education), which covers even broader ground, including topics like financial education, identity, body image and communities.
For many of us, RSHE wasn’t a priority in our own school days, or looked very different to how it does now. But today’s young people are navigating a very different world, one shaped by social media, online content, and an overwhelming volume of information that isn’t always accurate or age-appropriate. That’s why RSHE is now a government requirement, and why getting it right matters so much.
Good RSHE helps young people:
- Understand themselves — their emotions, identity, and physical and mental wellbeing
- Build healthy relationships — with family, friends, and (when/if they’re ready) romantic partners
- Stay safe — by recognising risks and knowing how to respond to them
- Respect others — by developing empathy and an understanding of difference
- Express themselves confidently — with the skills to communicate clearly and set boundaries
The power of the parent–child conversation
Global Day of Parents is a timely reminder that education doesn’t stop at the school gate. In fact, research consistently shows that young people who can talk openly with their parents about relationships, health and emotions are better equipped to make safe and healthy choices.
At Life Lessons, we believe that parents are partners in RSHE, not passive bystanders. Here are some of the most meaningful things you can do at home to complement what your child is learning at school:
Find out what they’re studying. Schools using the Life Lessons curriculum cover topics organised into three themes: Understanding Myself, Understanding Myself with Others, and Understanding Myself Within the World. Knowing the topics covered in these themes – such as puberty and mental health, and online safety and healthy relationships – helps you open the door at home, and shows that you value RSHE education too.
Ask questions and really listen. You don’t need to have all the answers, and it’s okay to try to find out the answers together. Try to listen without judgement, so your child feels safe to share their thoughts and feelings, and recognise when there’s something you need to know more about. Creating that space matters more than having the “right” response.
Share your own values. Help your child understand how your family’s beliefs and values connect to the topics they’re exploring. At the same time, make room for them to form their own opinions – and show what healthy support of this looks like.
Normalise the conversation. The more regularly you talk about these topics, not just when they become relevant or when there’s a problem, the more comfortable your child will feel coming to you when it really matters.
What do Life Lessons cover?
The Life Lessons secondary RSHE curriculum is built around eight units of study, designed to prepare young people for the world they actually live in:
- Wellbeing — emotions, mental health, resilience and self-esteem
- Healthy Choices — drugs, alcohol, tobacco, vaping and personal safety
- My Body & Me — puberty, body image, reproductive health and sexual health
- Healthy Relationships — identifying healthy and unhealthy relationships, boundaries, bullying and managing change
- Healthy Intimate Relationships — romantic and sexual relationships, consent, pornography’s influence, and harmful sexual behaviour (optional until Year 11)
- Identity & Community — identities, stereotypes, rights, discrimination and the Equality Act
- Digital Lives — online wellbeing, sharing, influence and misinformation
- Aspiration & Money — careers, goals, the world of work and personal finance
Lessons are built around a simple Watch → Discuss → Do structure, putting young people at the heart of the learning and giving them the opportunity to develop their own voice.
Sensitive topics: How do we handle them?
We know that some areas of RSHE, such as consent, gender, different family structures and puberty, can feel sensitive, whether for cultural, religious or personal reasons. At Life Lessons, all content is delivered in an age-appropriate, inclusive way that is aligned with the statutory RSHE guidance and the Equality Act.
The goal is never to tell young people what to think. It’s to give them the skills to:
- Understand and articulate their own thoughts, beliefs and emotions
- Listen to others and accept difference
- Think critically and compassionately about complex issues
- Recognise bias, especially online, and verify what they read
We also teach young people how to identify and evaluate the motivations of content creators, spot misinformation, and protect their own wellbeing in digital spaces.
A word on sex education
Sex education is part of the Life Lessons curriculum and is taught in line with government guidance. Parents have the legal right to withdraw their child from sex education lessons until approximately Year 11, and your school’s PSHE lead can tell you more about this.
Good sex education isn’t about promoting early sexual activity- in fact, evidence shows that quality sex education helps young people delay sexual activity, develop firm personal boundaries, and make choices that align with their own values. It also equips them with the skills needed to recognise and avoid unsafe or unhealthy situations.
This Global Day of Parenting: Start the conversation
You don’t need a curriculum or a lesson plan. All it takes is curiosity and a willingness to listen.
Ask your child: “What have you been learning in PSHE lately?” You might be surprised by how much they want to share, or by what questions they have for you.
If your child’s school uses Life Lessons, speak to the PSHE lead to find out what topics are coming up this term. You can also check your school’s RSHE policy on their website.
Because the most powerful lesson a young person can learn is this: they don’t have to face the big questions alone.
Life Lessons produces inclusive, discussion-based RSHE resources for secondary schools across the UK, aligned to the latest government guidance. To find out more, visit lifelessons.co.uk.