Kids Approaching Puberty (8-12)

Some schools will separate the girls and the boys and show films at this age. The girls’ film will be about menstruation, sanitary protection, and maybe pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The boys’ film will be about nocturnal emissions (wet dreams), the need for deodorant, and maybe sexually transmitted diseases. There will be much laughter, embarrassment (on the part of the kids and often the adults who teach them), and sharing of misinformation.

My advice is to beat your school district to the information. It is book time again! Again, read the books together so your child knows they can come to you when they have questions. Would you prefer that your child have the parts the film leaves out filled in by their friends, or would you prefer they have the ability to correct some of the nonsense that will come from other kids?

They will likely ask questions you do not know. This is a great time to demonstrate for them how to find accurate information. Go to the library, bookstore, or online together (see resources list below). You can always say, “That’s a great question! Let me see if I can find the answer and get back to you. I’d like to know that too.”