We Are All About Age-Appropriate Sex Education!

My husband and I had just started talking about when we would tell the boys about the amazing miracle of babies. Yes, that is right, of sex, fertilization, conception and the process of how babies are made. I know they are young (only 3 and 5 to be exact) but they have questions, they watched Milo and Otis and saw the little puppies "popping out of the doggies behind" and then came even more questions. So when do we as parents tighten all up and avoid and when do we just answer straight on what really should be discussed just like anything else? Well, now or never right? For us, for our family, the time is now.

We decided that having "the talk" is weird, it is hard for parents and hard for kids so Brad and I had mentioned several times how we wanted to just tell the boys what we thought was age appropriate at each step and then, really they wouldn't even remember having "the (horrid) talk". We were jazzed about this new idea of ours!

It seemed like days later that I was jumping for joy when I was offered by Bethany House Publishers two books that were hot off the press. They are from the Pure Foundations series by Jim Burns the first one is God Made Your Body for ages 3-5 and the second book in the series is How God Makes Babies for ages 6-9. When the books came and I saw them I was even more excited to sit down with the boys and read them together.

A couple of days ago we read God Made Your Body in which Jim Burns explains through very appropriate pictures, and simple non-detailed language that God made us all unique and special, different and beautiful. Gracefully Burns moves on to name the differences between boys and girls, and how that will make them moms or dads in the future. The part I was most worried about was the initial intro into the actual sex part, but the boys got it completely the first time. Since it is easy to worry about that I wanted to include that portion of the book for you, so you can decide for yourself, but I think he does a spectacular job.

"To make a baby, a mommy and a daddy come together in a special way called making love. Making love is something God made just for a husband and a wife to enjoy together.

When a mommy and a daddy make a baby, they each give one special part of themselves. the daddy gives a part called a sperm. The mommy gives a part called an egg. the sperm and the egg join together inside the mommy and form an embryo. All babies begin as an embryo..." (Jim Burns, God Made Your Body p. 19)

While reading that to the boys the first time, I wondered if they would get it. Both my 3 year old and 5 year old understood it completely. They wanted to repeat the process to me twice and then said, "that is cool that God does that". And were ready to finish up the rest of the book that talks a little about the development of the baby in the womb, about birth, and adoption and ends explaining that no matter how your family has come together that God made you a family and how special that is.

I am a full fledged believer in these books now. It really helped me figure out a better way to describe the whole process in a simple, straight forward way with just as much detail as they need at this age. Now if you ask my littlest how babies are made, he says " they are made from one part of the daddy, the sperm, and one part of the mommy, the egg. They join together to make the baby". Okay, it is as simple as that, our first sex talk was a cake walk. I certainly don't have things all figured out, but this proved to be a lot less difficult than I had ever anticipated. I am so thankful that there are books out there that match up so perfectly to what our views are on how and when to talk to children about sex. Laying the foundations for healthy sexuality (especially today) is very important.

The Next book in the series, How God Makes Babies is for ages 6-9 and we will wait to read it until the boys are in that age group. But, since I already know how it all works I read it and I can tell you the deets. It is the basic concept of the first with a lot more detail, really all the detail that they need about the process up until pre-marital counseling! Ha. Well, maybe not, but it is enough to definitely have them understand the whole process easily. It is more information than I ever understood from any sex ed in school that is for sure, but it is done in a Godly way and that really is the key in both of these books. I stand by them %100 and know that parents wouldn't need to cringe the way they do if they would just help themselves out and explain things when kids ask, a little younger maybe than they think, but why wait?

Do you have horror stories about having "the talk"? Oh, do share! Do you wonder when to share with your own kids? Or do you have strong feelings about this topic? Spill it.

Buy these books from Powell's Books:
God Made Your Body by Jim Burns (Pure Foundations)Ages 3-5
How God Makes Babies by Jim Burns (Pure Foundations)Ages 6-9