Reddit reviews What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: Revised Edition

As the daughter of a single father I just want to see keep up the good work!

My dad and I started reading "What's happening to my body? A book for girls" when I was around your daughter's age. It gave both of us an understanding about what was going to happen in the future. We also used it to help with my reading and comprehension. He would read a page or two and then I would read a page or two. At the end of the chapter we would discuss. It really brought us closer together and even to this day we can talk about anything without worry.

There are many books like this but this is the one I have experience with so here is a link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1557047642/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1477958185&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=whats+happening+to+my+body+book+for+girls&dpPl=1&dpID=51Mdy6zOdgL&ref=plSrch

Also, if you do happen to tell other adults make sure she isn't around to here. My mom who I spent weekends with spilled to beans to all the other moms at one of my brothers baseball games while I was sitting right there with her. I wanted to die (in the dramatic pre-teen angst kind of way). Good luck!

I found this book at the library when I was twelve and it was extremely helpful. lots of diagrams about what you should expect at different ages/stages. (the link has a "look inside" option so you can see the table of contents). definitely something young girls should read!

I think you did fine, but leaving the onus on him to come to you with questions might not work out. I suspect that a lot of kids aren't very comfortable or very willing to come to their parents with embarrassing questions right out of the blue. And lecturing doesn't do much good. The best approach, in my opinion, is to have short, ongoing, regular conversations about sexual and reproductive health, especially as his development continues and the conversations need to get more specific about some of the details. The more you talk about it, the less awkward it gets, and he'll be more likely to ask questions when it just becomes part of a normal conversation. Also, there are tons of great books about sexual and reproductive health and puberty out there. Get him three or four books and let him read. Get him the girls versions, too, so they're not a complete mystery. I'll include some recommendations below.

Here are some of the things I've added to the conversations I've had with my kid, specifically about porn:

-Pornography only shows actors performing sexual acts for the camera. Typical intimate, physical, sexual relationships between two people don't look very much like porn, so don't be fooled into thinking that's what a sexual relationship really looks like.

-Whether or not watching pornography is ethical or moral is something I think people need to decide for themselves. A lot of people think it's unethical for the following reasons: a) it doesn't show realistic relationships and distorts people's sense of what sex should look like; b) the actors, especially the female actors, are often exploited because they were in a vulnerable position and were taken advantage of; c) there are problems with things like human trafficking; d) some of the actors are underage; e) it can cause problems with addiction and desensitization; f) how would you feel if it was your daughter or sister performing? Do you think you should treat other people's daughters or sisters any differently?

But other people would say there's not a problem with looking at porn, especially if you're careful about the above problems. And a lot of people watch porn, so it's not weird or unusual. But deciding if it's right or not will have to be up to you.

If you do decide to watch porn, I would say -- as with anything else -- do it in moderation, and make sure it's not affecting your ability to have healthy relationships in real life.

Good books on puberty and reproductive and sexual health:

American Medical Association Girl's Guide to Becoming a Teen
by American Medical Association et al.

American Medical Association Boy's Guide to Becoming a Teen
by American Medical Association et al.

What's Happening to My Body? Book for Boys: Revised Edition
by Lynda Madaras et al.

My Body, My Self for Boys: Revised Edition by Lynda Madaras et al.

The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls
by Cara Natterson et al.

What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls: Revised Edition
by Lynda Madaras et al.

My mom put a condom on a banana and that was mortifying but I'm glad I saw one IRL before I had to see a guy put it on. She also gave me this book which I would read with my door locked, also mortifyed that that would go in there.

/u/Paralily & /u/atomic_winter - you win!

Send me addresses, or put the books on your wishlists from these links, and I will have the books sent out ASAP!

(edited to add links, bc derp)

Probably this one. It has a very different cover oh so many years later, but this book is still one of the most popular.

I am 99% it was the 1990ish edition of this, I've been trying to remember since I posted because it wasn't coming to me.

Our Bodies, Ourselves is classic, but I don't know if she'd be more comfortable with something aimed at teens or something that can "age with her."

It looks there is also My Body, My Self, and What's Happening to My Body for girls.

Dad of 10yo who just started her period here. I highly recommend this book, as it was highly instructional for me as well as her. This is also a great opportunity to reinforce your relationships with your women pals, especially those with daughters of their own.