This post is sponsored by Anatomy for Kids.
From when my children were a very young age I decided that we’d try and be as open and honest about our bodies as we could. So when I started to think about the words we would use to describe our bodies and body parts, as well as what we would share with our children when they asked, we decided to stick with the anatomically correct terminology.
As the kids are getting older it isn’t all about penises and vaginas anymore. These little inquisitive minds are coming up with some more difficult questions. And yes, they’ve already asked extensively where babies come from. My mother-in-law was always one to make sure the kids knew that a baby grew in a mom’s uterus and not in her belly.
But because they don’t always take what we say as the absolute truth, I’m glad I now have a new series of books to share with them. Anatomy for Kids, written by Dr. Shelley Metten (or Dr. M for short), is a book that focuses on what kids want to know in an age-appropriate language.
In this series, Dr. M discusses and introduces the anatomy of boys and girls. And since each sex is different, she’s divided the books into a series for boys and a series for girls.
Each series includes 4 books that will take your child from basic/early puberty into post puberty. And each book in the series is written in a language that the age group should be able to understand and process.
The books are a great segue to opening up honest communication with our children about their bodies and being able to find the resources to answer their questions.
In addition to the book series, Anatomy for Kids also has a great community where members can ask any question they’d like answered by Dr. M. This is a wonderful resource to use when our children ask us the questions we might not be prepared to answer. Or if we just don’t know what may be “normal” for the stage our child is in.
And right now everyone who joins the community between April 2 and April 9 will be entered into a random giveaway for a $50 Target gift card. Knowledge and the chance to win a Target gift card? I’m in!
After reading the first book in each series with my kids and hearing about the wonderful books to come, I cannot wait to use these series as a learning tool for my kids and a way to build trusting relationships with my children. I’d much rather I be the source of this information for them rather than playground talk with peers.
If you’re interested in purchasing a book in the series, feel free to visit their online store. You can also find more information by liking Anatomy for Kids on Facebook or following on twitter at @AnatomyforKids.
It is a common misconception for many that anatomy shouldn’t be tackled in an early age as there are some parts of the body that they think inappropriate to discuss. BUT I think this shouldn’t be the discuss because it is somehow beneficial for the young ones to learn. This is a great idea and helpful to your children as long as you know how to choose appropriate and right words.
Thanks for sharing. We have always done the same thing with our kids.
I love they are categorized by gender and each book will grow with the cild.
My daughter hasn’t asked many questions about her anatomy (or anyone else’s for that matter) but when she does, I’m going to use appropriate terminology.
I love the idea of these books! We have tried to be open with our children about many things (for their ages) as I feel it is very important for them to understand their bodies.
My six year old son is the perfect age for this-thanks for the heads up on these books-they seem to be great resources and conversation starters
we don’t use the “cutesy” names either…we are very open with our kids (especially our teens) about their bodies, sex and all that. It’s opened a lot of lines of communication for us that friends with teens have struggled with because our kids know they will get the real truth from us all the time.
This sounds like a great series! My older kids are 8 and 5 and have questioned some things. Some things I have shared the facts and others I have skirted around the entire facts – this would definitely help out! I’m going to have to look them up! Thanks for sharing it with me!
Those are some great books to have your kid learn about themselves when they are curious.
I’m just now at this point and was wondering the best way to approach this with the kids so I’m so glad I read this! Checking these out now!
I love that you are honest with your kids and don’t use cutesy names. I think it’s better to be honest with them (at the age appropriate level) these sound like great books!