To all the parents of tweens and teens out there...
Remember when puberty education was just a very awkward video about changing bodies? Things have changed, and our conversations need to change with them.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about how early kids are exposed to romantic storylines. Between teen dramas, books, and social media, our kids are getting a very specific (and often dramatized) script for how relationships are "supposed" to look.
But are we helping them decode it?
When my kid watches a show where two people hate each other until they suddenly kiss, or where one person gives up all their friends for a crush, I realized I need to treat those moments as puberty education, too.
We need to pause the TV and ask:
Puberty isn't just about hair and hormones. It’s about learning how to connect with other
The title refers to a 1991 Belgian documentary film Seksuele Voorlichting Sex Education Puberty: Sexual Education for Boys and Girls ), produced by Studio Landstar Films Content and Themes
The 28-minute film uses a "normal" family setting to explore themes of physical development and sexual health for young people entering puberty. Unlike traditional educational films of its time that relied on diagrams, this documentary is known for its highly explicit approach , featuring abundant nudity rather than illustrations. Key topics covered include: Physical Changes:
Anatomy, sexual hygiene, menstruation, and body development. Developmental Experiences: "Playing doctor," wet dreams, and masturbation. Emotional & Social Aspects:
Falling in love, kissing, and the importance of mutual respect in relationships. Reproduction:
An adult couple demonstrates reproductive sex to explain pregnancy and conception. Critical Reception puberty sexual education for boys and girls 1991 belgiumrar
Reviews of the film are sharply divided, largely due to its explicit nature: The Educational Perspective:
Some viewers consider it a "pretty good production" for an amateur crew, praising its straightforward, documentary-style delivery that avoids "hip" or distracting presenters. It is often cited as a tool for making informed decisions about bodies and emotions. The Critical Perspective:
Other reviewers find the film's use of underage nudity "bizarre" and "unappealing," with some questioning if the real intention was pedagogy or the exploitation of taboos for financial gain. Technical Quality:
Puberty: Sexual Education for Boys and Girls (originally titled Seksuele Voorlichting ) is a 1991 Belgian documentary film directed by Ronald Deronge and written by André Singelijn
. Designed as an educational resource for adolescents, it provides information on the physiological and psychological changes associated with puberty. Production and Content Overview
Produced at a time when sex education in Belgium was primarily the responsibility of individual schools rather than a mandatory national curriculum, the film stands out for its explicit approach
. Unlike many educational materials of the era that used line drawings or diagrams, this documentary features: Abundant Nudity
: The film uses real-life footage to illustrate body development. Core Topics
: It covers themes including sexual hygiene, masturbation, menstruation, body development, sex, and childbirth. : The film features Hielde Daems and Willem Geyseghem. Critical Reception and Context
The film has been noted for its "existential realism" but has also faced criticism regarding its graphic nature. Reviewers on
have debated whether its explicit content crosses the line from pedagogical value to exploitation, with some finding the depiction of child and adolescent nudity inappropriate for an educational setting. Belgium Leads the Way with Inclusive Sexual Education To all the parents of tweens and teens out there
The film aims to provide factual information about sexual development and foster mutual respect between boys and girls during the transition to adulthood. Unlike traditional educational materials of the time that used line drawings, this film was known for its explicit and realistic approach, featuring abundant nudity to normalize the human body.
Production Style: It is presented as a documentary with a "normal" family setting, using an all-amateur cast. Key Topics Covered:
Biological processes: Anatomy, reproduction, menstruation, and wet dreams.
Emotional & Social: Falling in love, kissing, and the social implications of relationships. Health & Hygiene: Sexual hygiene and body development. Behaviors: Masturbation and "playing doctor".
Target Audience: Adolescents and pre-teens beginning to experience pubertal changes. Reception and Controversy The film has received mixed retrospective reviews:
Educational Merit: Some viewers describe it as a "pretty good production" for its time, praising its straightforward, no-nonsense delivery and lack of "filmish showing off".
Criticism: Other reviewers have criticized the film for its explicit nature, with some arguing that its use of child nudity was unnecessary for pedagogy or even "bizarre". Historical Context in Belgium
In 1991, sexuality education in Belgium was primarily the responsibility of regional governments rather than a centralized national mandate. Sexuality Education in the WHO European Region
Title: Unpacking the .rar: A Look Back at Puberty & Sex Ed for Boys and Girls in 1991 Belgium
Posted by: The Historical Health Education Archive Date: April 17, 2026
Ever stumble across a dusty digital folder named Puberty_Edu_1991_Belgium.rar and feel a mix of nostalgia and dread? I just unzipped one, and what I found is a fascinating snapshot of a pivotal moment in European sexual education. Puberty isn't just about hair and hormones
Let’s step into the time machine. The year is 1991. Nirvana is on the radio, the Cold War has just ended, and in Belgium, a quiet revolution was happening in how we taught boys and girls about puberty.
Belgium in 1991 was still officially a unitary state (the federalization would complete in 1993). Education was controlled by three linguistic communities: Flemish (Dutch), French, and the small German-speaking community.
Here is the breakdown of the 1991 curriculum for boys vs. girls—and the gaps between them.
| Aspect | Flemish community | French-speaking community | |--------|------------------|---------------------------| | Main term | "Relationele en seksuele vorming" | "Éducation sexuelle et affective" | | Approach | Often integrated into "social and health education" | More likely separate biology + moral sessions | | Church influence | Still present but weakening | Stronger in Catholic schools; state schools more progressive |
Boys typically received separate instruction from girls (gender-segregated lessons were common). Topics included:
Typical 1991 Flemish textbook excerpt (translated):
“From age 11 to 14, the larynx grows, and the voice breaks. Semen production begins. Ejaculation may occur during sleep. This is natural and not harmful.”
Notice the clinical tone — emotional and relationship aspects were minimal.
For a 12-year-old Flemish or Walloon boy in 1991, puberty education was segmented and awkward. Lessons usually happened in mixed-gender classrooms for the first half (slides of ovaries and fallopian tubes) and then segregated by sex for the "embarrassing" part.
The Biological Script:
The Social Subtext: Boys were taught "control." Unlike today’s focus on consent, 1991 Belgian textbooks (such as De Mens en zijn Leven, Lannoo, 1989) focused on self-mastery. Masturbation, while no longer called a sin in state schools, was described as a "private phase of psychosexual development."
The Storyline: In movies, the hero shows up at the heroine’s window with a boom box. He doesn't take "no" for an answer. He persists until she relents. The Danger: This is the most toxic trope for a developing brain. It teaches that pressure equals passion. The Puberty Lesson: Explain the difference between persistence and pressure.