Parents and caregivers play an absolutely crucial role in teaching kids about puberty, especially because things like sex education and menstruation education are “seriously lacking” in schools, experts warn. They’re conversations that should start young — and happen often.
But unfortunately, many parents didn’t grow up having these types of talks in their homes, which can make broaching this with their own kiddos challenging and uncomfortable.
The 12 books on this list tackle a broad range of puberty-related issues, from the biology of particular changes to issues like body positivity and consent. They meet kids where they’re at developmentally, from preschool to tween-dom. And, crucially, they’re way less corny than the scant offerings that were available to many parents when they were kids.
Read these books aloud together, or — depending on your child’s age and reading ability — pass them back and forth, letting children mark passages where they have questions or read something they’d like to talk about.
Remember: If one conversation doesn’t go well, or if you feel like a particular book didn’t resonate with your child, just try again. As Vanessa Bennett, founder of Dynamo Girl and author of the Uncertain Parenting Newsletter, previously told HuffPost: “The most important thing is that these are conversations that have no judgment.”
