Farmington Hills resident Barb Flis was recently appointed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to coordinate the Talk Early, Talk Often program, a pilot program aiming to make middle-school students' parents more comfortable discussing sex with their children.

"Think about your kid, and if you don't have that conversation, you're leaving them unarmed," said Flis, who was once embarrassed to talk with her children about sex.

Talk Early, Talk Often will send facilitators around Michigan this fall to conduct 60 free, 90-minute workshops teaching parents to listen to their children's questions and concerns about sex. The workshops will use role-playing to teach parents to stay calm and engaged. Flis said the goal is to attract at least 1,500 parents to the workshops, but she hopes the number will be closer to 3,000.

The governor's program adheres to the position of the National Parent-Teacher Association, which has an initiative encouraging parents to begin sex education early. "It's something needed," said National PTA spokesperson James Martinez. "The well-being of children is primarily the responsibility of the home."

Flis became interested in children's health issues in the late 1980s when her two daughters were in elementary school. She began her involvement with school sex education when her eldest, now 25, was in middle school. She has held sex education workshops for parents since 1999, explaining what is taught in the classroom and how to address the topic at home.

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