IT'S TIME FOR "THE TALKS"... The Birds & The Bees

It used to be that when I thought of being a mom, "the talk" was something I'd have with my kids right before their first date. Turns out, that's probably not the best approach! We turned to Collins Foster, LMSW, who hosts talks for parents on HAVING The Talks... and yes, that's 'Talks' plural. Birds & Bees conversations are split up by age group, start younger and continue well into the teen years with very age appropriate content. Here are some resources that we mentioned on the podcast that can help guide and support you during this parenting journey--remember, no matter who is providing materials to you, it's so important for you to vet them for your family yourself.

Babies & Toddlers

● Tips for Talking to Toddlers About Private Parts (podcast): https://bit.ly/33sEKsn

● Who Has What? by Robie H. Harris

● My Amazing Body Book by Martin & Sanders

● My Body is Special and Private by Adrianne Simeone

● Tips for Talking to Kids About the Birds & Bees (podcast): https://n.pr/3bOoTIb

● Amaze Jr: website full of videos geared toward parents and kids, covering many layers of ‘the talks’: https://amaze.org/jr/

Pre-Schoolers

● I Said No! by Zack & Kimberly King

● Where Do Babies Come From? by Dr. Jillian Roberts

● God Made All of Me by Holcomb & Holcomb

● The Talks by Barrett Johnson

Elementary Schoolers

● The Care and Keeping of You series by American Girl

● Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys by Cara Natterson

● It’s Not the Stork by Harris & Emberley

● It’s So Amazing by Harris & Emberley

● Passport to Purity by Dennis & Barbara Rainey

Middle Schoolers

● It’s Perfectly Normal by Harris & Emberley

● The “What’s Happening to My Body?” Book for Girls by Lynda Madaras w/ Area Madaras

● The Talk by Luke Gilkerson

● What Your Teens Wish You Knew About Sex Education (podcast): https://n.pr/3bL4Yd9

Tech-wise Parenting

● Good Pictures, Bad Pictures by Jenson & Poyner

● Talk Today, Safer Tomorrow: 10 Conversation Starters by The National Center on Sexual Exploitation: https://bit.ly/33CC4rx

● Best Internet Filter Software: https://www.toptenreviews.com/best-internet-filter-software

● Tutorial on activating “GUIDED ACCESS” on Apple devices: https://youtu.be/ooxeDsF243c

● Tutorial on enabling Google Safe Search/Browsing: https://youtu.be/d7w839P4D5o

● YouTube: Step-by-Step Guide to Stronger Parental Controls: https://bit.ly/2Nx3ytk

● Approving/Blocking Games Children Play: https://www.esrb.org/tools-for-parents/family-guide/

● Tips for Social Media Safety: https://bit.ly/2NMfB6h

● Porn Proofing Our Kids - Don’t Mom Alone Podcast Interview with Kristen Jenson: https://bit.ly/2MIifbN

● Fight the New Drug - Documentary on Impact of Pornography: https://bit.ly/33Am4qd

Statistics

● Enough is Enough Statistics: https://enough.org/stats_internet_safety

● Pure HOPE (non-profit org): https://purehope.net/resources/statistics/

● Infographic on Children’s Internet Usage Study: https://sforce.co/2MFm2Xc

Articles

● Bark Exec goes undercover as an 11-year-old girl on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3cVpqsM

● NYT article about the increase in child abuse images posted online: https://nyti.ms/2nBmH3a

● One in 10 Visitors To Hardcore Porn Sites is Under 10 Years Old: https://bit.ly/2zSmwnP

● Parenting in the Digital Age of Pornography: https://bit.ly/2VI7v1b

Websites/Blogs

● Wait Until 8th: https://www.waituntil8th.org/why-wait

● National Online Safety guide bank: https://nationalonlinesafety.com/guides

● Enough is Enough - Resource Center (EXCELLENT SITE!): https://enough.org/resource_center

● Center for Cyber Security & Education: https://iamcybersafe.org/s/

● National Center for Sexual Exploitation: https://endsexualexploitation.org/about/