Sex and Sensibility: The Thinking Parent's Guide to Talking Sense about Sex by Deborah M. Roffman
I was privilaged to work with Debbie when she consulted with my school as we worked to develop a sexuality curriculum for our students. She takes a no-nonsense, yet thoughtful approach on this topic and answers many of the questions parent have. I have provided an overview of the book below:
" How young is too young to talk with children about sex and reproduction? Are we clear as adults about the meaning of the words "sex" and "sexuality," or "gender" and "sexual orientation"? Do we know what we want our children to think and value about sexuality, and how to combat unhealthy cultural influences?
With a rare directness and clarity about these profoundly important issues, nationally recognized sexuality educator Deborah Roffman challenges and teaches readers to develop a blueprint for opening the lines of communication with children of all ages. Raising sexually healthy children requires that we master what Roffman identifies as five core parenting skills: we must affirm our children's emerging sexuality; provide accurate sexual information; demonstrate the connection between values and action; set safe and healthy limits; and provide constant and efective anticipatory guidance. Powerfully instructive on how to talk in ways that will be meaningful to kids, Sex and Sensibility will help parents confidently interpret and comfortably respond to virtually any question a child might pose or any situation that arises."
A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex by Dr. Kevin Leman and Kathy Flores Bell
Several folks have asked for a Christian based book on this topic. I came across this one as I started preparing to lead a class at church and have been pretty satisfied with it. I must say that it isn't as good as Debbie Roffman's book, but it does a fine job discussing the Christian point of view. I have included a brief overview of the book below...
" Your kids need you to talk with them about sex. No one else will do. And those conversations that are so vital for your children's health and happiness don't have to be difficult if you're prepared. The Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids about Sex shows you how to deal with what goes on above the neck as well as below the waist. Here's how to help your child face the struggles, questions, wonders, and rewards of his or her developing sexuality."
Talking to Your Kids About Sex: How to Have a Lifetime of
Age-Appropriate Conversations with Your Children About Healthy Sexuality by Mark Laaser, Ph.D.
“The greatest enemy of sexual wholeness today,” asserts Mark Laaser, Ph.D., “is silence.” A therapist specializing in the field of sexual health, Dr. Laaser has worked with hundreds of adults who suffer the consequences of sexual sin and dysfunction. All of them long to have had meaningful conversations with their parents about sex when they were growing up.
Most parents would agree that healthy sexuality should be taught at home rather than left to their children’s teachers, peers, or culture. However, even parents with the best intentions can feel at a loss regarding where to start.
In Talking with Your Kids about Sex, Dr. Laaser cuts through the confusion, coaching you through specific, age-appropriate discussions you can have with your son or daughter from early childhood through young adulthood; giving guidance on how to explore and examine your own sexual beliefs and issues; and empowering you to help your child develop a healthy and biblical understanding of sexuality, a glorious gift from God.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris. Illustrated by Michael Emberly
As an educator and former librarian, I must honestly say that this is one of the most powerful books that a child could ever read. It contains a wealth of information to help kids understand about their body and the crazy things that happen to it along the way. The illustrations are detailed without being vulgar.
This was our fifth grade "textbook" for sexuality education at one school.
It is recommended for ages 10 and up, but I must say that I have already shared a few passages with my 8 year old. I have included an overview below...
"This universally acclaimed classic by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley is a cutting-edge resource for kids, parents, teachers, librarians, and anyone else who cares about the well-being of tweens and teens. Providing accurate and up-to-date answers to nearly every imaginable question, from conception and puberty to birth control and AIDS, IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL offers young people the information they need — now more than ever — to make responsible decisions and stay healthy."
It's So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie H. Harris, Illustrated by Michael Emberly
A few months ago my nephew and his wife had a new baby and a day or so later some good friends had one as well. Because of this double whammy of exposure to new babies, my 7 year old daughter started asking lots of questions about babies. This book was a god send. By the same author and illustrator of It's Perfectly Normal, this book takes on sex education for younger children (recommended for ages 7 and up). Topics covered include reproductive systems, reproduction, pregnancy, childbirth, adoption, keeping safe, etc. I have included an overview below...
"The creators of It's Perfectly Normal, targeted to middle-schoolers, here reach out to a slightly younger audience with candor and humor, neatly distilling various aspects of sex, reproduction and love. An inquisitive, loquacious bird and an embarrassed bee act as comic and straight man and serve as diverting foils to Harris's conversational narrative; kids will both identify with and chuckle at the two characters' reactions and asides. The duo's cheerful banter also clarifies some potentially confusing issues ("So the fetus doesn't grow where the pizza goes!" proclaims the newly enlightened bee). Specific topics covered include changes in boys' and girls' bodies during puberty, intercourse, birth control, chromosomes and genes, adoption and adjusting to a newborn sibling. The roster of experts in the closing acknowledgments speaks to the sensitivity and intelligence with which Harris and Emberley handle their treatment of masturbation, sexual abuse, HIV and AIDS and homosexuality. Emberley's artwork ranges from lighthearted cartoon panels of a talking sperm meeting up with an egg in the fallopian tube to straightforward drawings of reproductive organs and a developing fetus. With its informal yet informed perspective, this volume renders much "amazing" phenomena reassuringly comprehensible. Ages 7-up."
It's Not The Stork: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends by Robie H. Harris, Illustrated by Michael Emberly
I must be honest and say that I have not actually read this book, but it comes from the well respected duo who produced It's Perfectly Normal and It's So Amazing. This title is for younger children (ages 4 and up). I have included an overview below...
" Young children are curious about almost everything, especially their bodies. And young children are not afraid to ask questions. What makes me a girl? What makes me a boy? Why are some parts of girls' and boys' bodies the same and why are some parts different? How was I made? Where do babies come from? Is it true that a stork brings babies to mommies and daddies? IT'S NOT THE STORK! helps answer these endless and perfectly normal questions that preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary school children ask about how they began. Through lively, comfortable language and sensitive, engaging artwork, Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley address readers in a reassuring way, mindful of a child's healthy desire for straightforward information. Two irresistible cartoon characters, a curious bird and a squeamish bee, provide comic relief and give voice to the full range of emotions and reactions children may experience while learning about their amazing bodies. Vetted and approved by science, health, and child development experts, the information is up-to-date, age-appropriate, and scientifically accurate, and always aimed at helping kids feel proud, knowledgeable, and comfortable about their own bodies, about how they were born, and about the family they are part of. "
I've also included a few books specifically about raising boys or girls...
The Wonder of Boys by Michael Gurian
Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson
Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls by Mary Pipher
Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughters Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World by Rosiland Wiseman
No comments:
Post a Comment