Body talk can be confusing
My daughter was under two when her baby brother was born, and her toddler curiosity about everything concerning baths, diapers and the world around her means she’s been aware of the physical differences between girls and boys for as long as she can remember. Not all kids are exposed to those physical differences in such an organic way at such a young age, and no matter how kids find out about the differences in bodies, they’re bound to ask questions. Those questions can be intimidating for parents, particularly when they concern how babies are made or why kids’ bodies look different than their parents — and when they’ll change.
Candlewick Press helps parents with books about bodies
Not all answers can be found between the pages of a book, but Candlewick Press knows books can be a strong parental aid when it comes to tough conversations with kids. Between Banned Books Week, coming up at the end of September, and “Let’s Talk” month happening this October, it’s the perfect time for parents and kids to start asking and answering questions that might not always be comfortable.
Talking to younger children about their bodies
It’s So Amazing! A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families is celebrating it’s fifteenth anniversary as an informative, practical guide to helping kids understand more about how bodies operate — from infancy through child-bearing. The book is recommended for children ages seven and above, but I found it to be appropriate for younger children as well. My almost-five year old was more interested in the cheeky “bird” and “bee” that help explain the drawings, but there was nothing in the book that I felt uncomfortable answering if he asked. Both he and my almost-seven year old were most interested in the illustrations describing how a baby grows in its mother’s body. The frank drawings really helped expand on the discussions we’ve had about where and how a baby grows and is fed during pregnancy, and the book would be an excellent tool when explaining a new sibling to a child.
Tweens need body conversations, too
Designed for tweens ages ten and older, It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health deepens discussions about puberty, sexuality, and the realities of sexual health. With over one million copies in print, the book offers straight-forward information about typical subjects like puberty and reproduction, but it also touches on other questions kids might have, from the differences between sex and gender to facts about sexual abuse, harassment, and reproductive decisions. Despite the friendly illustrations on the cover and throughout the book, It’s Perfectly Normal strives to be an educational tool for all kids and their questions. Parents looking for vague explanations or directives to practice abstinence until marriage should look elsewhere. The book is written in a way that makes it appropriate for kids to read on their own or as a family discussion piece, so even if you’re not quite sure how to start these complicated conversations, kids could be encouraged to read through the book on their own time.
Have you used books to help answer complicated questions from your kids?
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