When I started my period for the first time, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone.
That's how little discussion of my body and puberty had taken place in our household before I turned 13.
In contrast, my sister and I have tried to make discussions about our bodies and our daughters' changing bodies an organic part of our lives. I never want to have "the talk" with my daughter; instead, we've been talking about my body, her body, and women's health in general since she was old enough to, well, talk.
Now she's in middle school and we're talking more than ever. This new book from Toni Weschler will make a great adjunct to our discussions. It's a girl-version of Weschler's famous "Taking Charge of Your Fertility," book, which taught me more about the way my body works than any other book, doctor, website or conversation ever had before.
I highly recommend Toni's new book for girls and their mothers.
I will add the caveat that it does deal fairl explicitly with sex, not just how our bodies work, so it's not a book you are going to want to hand to your 11 year old as her super-basic "what to expect" guide as she heads into early puberty.
This is a book best suited to girls 13 and older (it says it's for teens on the cover). And mothers should check out Toni Weschler's book for adults - newly revised, by the way -- at the same time as or before giving "Cycle Savvy" to their daughters.
Together, you'll learn a lot about your bodies - things you likely never knew before.
This would be a great holiday gift for the teenage girl in your life.
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4 comments:
Really? You think a teenage girl would love to open this up in front of grandma and her cousin Tony? I think I'd probably pass it along to her privately, and give her a CD or something . . .
Well sure :-)
I didn't necessarily mean it needed to go under the tree!
Katie, I agree that giving these types of books is important. Giving them under the tree would be too embarrassing.
I highly recommend creating a reference library of sexually books for your kids.
I'm a childbirth educator so I always had these types of books on our shelves.
Teens (and their friends) can look at them at their own pace and in private. Girls need to read books that are about boys sexually and boys need to read books about girls. Here are three all-time classics not preachy and scientifically accurate.
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health
By Robie H. Harris
Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a GURL
Period.: A Girl's Guide to Menstruation With a Parents Guide
By JoAnn Loulan,
Sorry.
Sexuality is the word that belongs in my post.
That's what happens when you don't reread after spell check.
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