Science Sunday: Talking to your kids about sex

 

Yes, we had THAT talk with the boys this week.  It all started a few months ago when:

When to talk to your kids about sex?

I got a new nephew.  This started a whole bunch of questions: Where do babies come from?  How does the baby get in the Mommy’s tummy?  What does the baby eat?

 

Questions that I wasn’t really ready to answer.  I started researching books for this subject, and finally found a wonderful series that answers all of these questions at an age appropriate level.

So, for me the question is when they have questions, and you answer them as it is appropriate.

 

What did we use to talk to the kids about sex?

For the boys we used Before I Was Born {affiliate link}.  It covers the different anatomy, how our bodies change in just enough detail for a seven year old without getting into too fine a detail.  It explains very simply how babies are made without lingering, and then talks about how the baby grows inside of the Mommy’s womb.

 

Jeff told me this was the part the boys were most interested in, how did the baby grow.  Which is age appropriate.  I’m sure in later years there will be more questions about other things……

What I liked about Before I Was Born for talking to my kids about sex:

 

1.  The pictures are soft pastels, which lets them show some of the body parts in question without it being too graphic for little kids.

 

2.  The material is covered simply without being overwhelming.  It’s in a friendly prose.

 

3.  It works for stopping often and asking questions.

 

What I dislike about talking to my kids about sex using “Before I was born”:

1.  How did my children get old enough I’m having to talk about this?  It took me a good month of reading and rereading the book for Jeff and I to be ready to talk with them.

2.  I debate when it gets to the actual subject of sex if it’s too much.  I’m sure it’s not, but going back to my first problem, I don’t know how much is too much.  I very much appreciate the different levels because I can choose.  The book I chose for the boys described in what is probably the right amount of detail, but I’m still getting used to the idea they’re that old.

 

Honestly the first time I started looking at books on this subject I just about broke down in the store crying trying to figure out how my kids got to be old enough this is actually a topic I’m talking about.  And then I looked at the next book and start it all over again.

 

I now know why my Mom every time I had a birthday or major event would cry, “My baby’s growing up!”

 

Okay, changing the subject before I start worrying about them going off to college.

Let’s see what others did this week:

Fantastic Five shared her awesome space lapbook, complete with printables.

No Doubt Learning shared her Solar Oven Cookies, which has been on my to do list for years.

All Things Beautiful shared their study of local soil.  I think we’d find clay here, lots and lots of it.  Hard-baked right now with the heat.

As you no doubt have figured out, I’m grabbing a few posts to share each week, but I wanted to make sure you knew that when you’re linking up.  There isn’t a super good rhyme or reason to my choosing.  Sometimes it’s “That’s so cool!,” sometimes it’s “how thought provoking.”  I’ll share between 2-4 posts each week.