The birds and the bees

You may have heard this slogan: "Eight is too late."
It implies that "the chat" needs to happen with our children well before they are eight.

Frightening.

I have been thinking about developing material on 'body privacy' and 'body boundaries' for a couple of weeks now and have just come across Christy Herselman via Caitlin de Beer's unpodcast just this morning.

Christy Herselman is a local author who has developed an amazing resource for parents and her book entitled "The Chat: Birds, Bees and Destinies" is a must-have item for all parents and caregivers. She encourages caregivers to start "the conversation" with children as young as 2, so that when children have questions about sexuality and body privacy later on, they feel safe to bring it up. In her book, she explains how to go about these chats at the various ages to keep things age appropriate.

It is a challenge for those of us who were not raised this way.

It is also a challenge to face our own awkwardness about sexuality so that we can protect our children. It is in teaching them not to feel ashamed of their bodies that we make them stronger.

As a parent, I want to be the place my children come to ask questions about their bodies, or words that they have heard from others. I want them to ask me, instead of Google. In order to get there, I have to pave the way for that and as daunting as it is, it is empowering to know that there is a resource that can guide me.

Caitlin de Beer recently released a podcast where she interviewed Christy about her book. Click here to listen to it. I found it brilliant and am so inspired to walk this road well with my own children.

For more information about Christy's book and other resources, visit her website here. The book is R150 and can be ordered directly off her website, or found in major book shops across the country.