The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls, Revised Edition
I got this book for my 8-year-old for Christmas. Sensitive issues about body changes are becoming a hot topic around here as we begin to deal with pre-puberty. Because she is such a huge bookworm I thought this would be a great starting off point for her to learn about body changes. I think that this is one subject where you really have to take into consideration your own child's personality and decide how to approach these sensitive topics. With that being said I asked her to read the book on her own time and then we could talk about any questions that she has, leaving the ball in her court and leaving the door to conversation WIDE open.The book has definitely given her the courage to talk about something she was very unsure about. She understands her body now and is actually excited about the changes taking place (I was NOT as a child BUT no one gave me a book like this or talked to me about anything!). I think the book has given her courage to ask questions and even given her vocabulary about the issues she otherwise wasn't sure how to articulate, if that makes sense. I think it also made her aware of other changes that she was not even aware about. No matter how you decide to use this book or other material it is imperative that you not embarrass or belittle your child. It is also imperative that you are there for them and answer questions appropriately and honestly. If I ever feel that something is inappropriate to talk about then I honestly tell them, "This isn't something that is appropriate right now but we will talk about it soon!" And then don't go back on your promise.
Some pretty funny "kids say the darndest things" moments have also happened because of the book. She knows that these are private topics that stay at home so she's very comfortable saying things to us that might make others blush or stutter. I won't go into that here but I'm chuckling right now as I type this, thinking of the things she's said!
Finally I want to mention that we're a super conservative Christian family. I found nothing in this book that I felt was perverse or misguided or inappropriate. It is merely an anatomical book about changes that happen in early puberty. God created these wonderful bodies of ours and it's important to understand the changes *before* they happen. If there's something in ANY book that we don't exactly agree with then we use it as a teaching moment and explain that some people think dealing with emotions or friends "this way" is okay but this is how our family chooses to do it. If I am made aware of a serious problem in a book or one that is most definitely not Godly then we discard it but this book was well written and we've been pleased in how it has helped build our daughter's confidence in an uncertain and sometimes scary time in a young girl's life! We will be getting the version for older girls when she's a little older.
