Many parents find that talking with their children about sexuality and reproduction can be overwhelming. There are many tools to help you, no matter if you’ve already begun talking with your children about sexuality and want help answering specific questions, or if you don’t know how to start the discussion. We hope reading about talking with your kids about sex and sexuality will be helpful.
There are also many other resources that can help:
Websites
The Center for Latino Adolescent and Family Health
Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States
There’s No Place Like Home … for Sex Education
Books About Talking with Your Children About Sexuality
How to Talk with Teens About Love, Relationships, and S-E-X by Amy G. Miron and Charles D. Miron
Sex & Sensibility: The Thinking Parent's Guide to Talking Sense About Sex by Deborah M. Roffman
Sexuality: Your Sons and Daughters With Intellectual Disabilities by Karin Melberg Schwier and David Hingsburger
Staying Connected to Your Teenager: How to Keep Them Talking to You and How to Hear What They're Really Saying by Michael Riera
Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality by Terri Couwenhoven
Why Do They Act That Way?: A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by David Walsh
Books for Children
There are books written about sexuality for children of different ages. Reading books about sexuality with your children is a great way for you to break the ice and start an ongoing discussion. And children will benefit from having books like these in your home to look at when they have questions about sexuality.
It's Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends by Robie Harris (for ages 4 and up)
No Es La Ciguena Un Libro Que Habla Sobre Ninas, Ninos, Bebes, Cuerpos, Familias Y Amigos by Robie Harris (for ages 4 and up)
It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing up, Sex, and Sexual Health by Robie Harris (for ages 10 and up)
Sexo...Que Es? by Robie Harris (for ages 10 and up)
It's So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families by Robie Harris (for ages 7 and up)
¡EsAlucinante! by Robie Harris (for ages 7 and up)
What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown (for ages 4-8)
The “What's Happening to My Body?” Book for Boys: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Sons by Lynda Madaras and Martin Anderson (for ages 8 to 15)
The “What's Happening to My Body?” Book for Girls: A Growing Up Guide for Parents and Daughters by Lynda Madaras and Marcia Herman-Giddens (for ages 8 to 15)
Let’s Talk About Sex by Robie Harris
Who Has What? All About Girls' Bodies and Boys' Bodies by Robie Harris (for ages 4-8)
Additional Resources
Don’t hesitate to seek out additional support. Talk with friends and family members about their experiences talking with their children about sexuality. Ask them what worked and what didn’t work for them.
You can also encourage your parent-teacher association (PTA), church, or temple to invite Planned Parenthood educators to talk with parents about this important topic.
