A couple months ago one of my friends at MOPS was talking about a lady at her daughters preschool that uses a book series to talk to her kids about sex. Since Owen's 8 years old and that time will be here before I know it I was interested. Kara sent me the list of the books her friend reads and I decided to check it out. The nice thing is they are from a godly perspective and they have age guidelines to help you figure out when it's best to read them to your kids.
I looked at them online, but I really wanted to buy them from the Family Christian Store in Federal Way, unfortunately they didn't even carry them. I thought that was sad...especially since I'd like to give them my money. Anyways I ended up buying them on Amazon for a really good deal. If you click on the pictures it will take you to the site.
The first book in the series is The Story of Me and it's for ages 3 - 5. I read this one to all the kids..except I think Zeke was wandering around or he was already in bed so he wasn't really listening. Basically it's a little boy asking his parents about his story...how mommy had him in his tummy and how he was born. It talks about how God makes us all special and how there are boys and girls and what makes them different. It's done in a very tactful way so it's not embarrassing. Especially if you've already been very open and honest with our kids about their different parts and the names for those parts. What I liked about it was it talked about babies being pushed out and it also included C-Sections. My kids have always known that Ms. Kim pushes her babies out and the doctor cuts mine out. I love that we can be open and it doesn't feel weird and uncomfortable. I'm hoping it will continue to feel that way. God made our bodies and he made them beautifully and he made them to enjoy sex....within the bounds of marriage. This was definitely a good first step in getting them ready to hear that.
The second book Before I Was Born is more in-depth in regards to how a baby is conceived. It's for ages 5 - 8 and I haven't read it to the kids yet. I've only read it once and I'm thinking that I might wait a little while and then just read it to Owen and Jackson first. There is a cartoon....looks like the front cover...kind of fuzzy...of a woman pushing the baby out. I want to make sure that they are ready for that and I don't feel they are just yet. The nice thing about both of these books is it's not meant to be the book telling the kids everything they need to know. It opens it up for conversation and the kids will ask questions and that's great. I want my kids to always feel comfortable talking to me about their bodies and the changes they are going through. I was a little bummed in regards to this book as it only references babies being born naturally and not by C-Section. I found that odd since the first book mentioned it and they have both been revised.
The third book in the series is What's the Big Deal? and it's for 8 - 11 year olds. I ended up being able to check this one out from the library. I didn't want to purchase it as I know we are certainly not ready for this one yet. I have read it and it's done in a conversational way. There is a Mom, a Dad, a son and a daughter and the kids are asking their parents questions. They actually encourage you to read the different parts so I would read the mom part and then pass the book along to whom ever is next. It's very good and I love the discussions they have with their kids about real life issues. It's broken up by chapters such as What's the Big Deal about Sex? Why do people do it? What about sex outside marriage? What does God say about sex? and so on. When my kids are at the age where we need to be discussing this I'm going to be glad I know about this book.
The last book in the series is Facing the Facts and it's recommended for kids ages 11 - 14. Again I was able to get this one from the library and I just browsed through it quickly. It talks more in-depth about the differences between boys and girls bodies and the changes that are to come during puberty. It also talks about how a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth. It talks about dating and why you should save sex for marriage. Again I think this book is really going to be a great reference when we do need it. Eventually I will buy the last two books...you can click on the pictures and it will take you to the site to purchase them.
There are 4 others books Kara's friend recommends when the kids get older and they are - The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Older Girls - Preparing for Adolescence - 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life: Defining Your Dating Style.
I found The Care & Keeping of your for Younger Girls at the library, but I haven't read it yet. It's actually an American Girl book. Again this is for older girls so we're not at that stage yet. I did look around for a book that's similar for boys and there are a few. I need to check them out ahead of time so I know which one is good to use.
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