From Birth to Puberty is shipped worldwide.
US, AUS, NZ or UK orders click the Paypal button below for secure payment with all major credit cards.
For other ordering options click here.

US$:
NZ$:
GB£
AUS$

From Birth to Puberty is a practical guide to the parenting skills needed to help your child develop a healthy sexuality. Every parent wants their child to grow up healthy, to have committed, loving relationships and lasting friendships. Central to this is the development of a healthy sexuality.

How do you help your child achieve this? This book shows how to treat children's sexual development as a positive, natural part of their lives. Topics include:

• The first 12 years of children's sexual development
• The difference between child and adult sexuality
• How to manage specific sexuality issues with your child
• How you develop open, honest communication about sex with them, based on your family values
• How to prepare your child for puberty and future relationships
• Tips and activities for you and your child

    From Birth to Puberty is organised into five parts:

· Getting started - describes the differences between child and adult sexuality, and takes you through a typical parent workshop on children's sexuality.

· Children's sexual development - follows sexual development from birth to puberty and suggests ways of responding to the issues that arise.

· Ask me anything - shows you how to communicate openly about sexuality with your child and respond confidently to their questions. How values and attitudes affect sexuality and ways you can foster positive values and attitudes in your child.

· At school - outlines sexuality education at primary school, addressing questions and concerns you may have with the school teaching sexuality to your child. Explains how you can have input into your school's sexuality education program and includes examples of the content of a typical primary school program.

· Special situations - looks at specific sexuality issues for single parents and stepfamilies, and at keeping your child safe from sexual abuse and underage sex.

       About the authors

Gill Lough and Max Saunders have extensive experience in adult, family and sexuality education, and qualifications in occupational therapy, paediatrics, science and education.

Gill has 20 years experience in sexuality education with the New Zealand Family Planning Association. She works with parents, children, adolescents, teachers, health professionals and community workers. Max has 20 years experience in adult education including senior lecturer in health science, and a PhD from Massey University, NZ.

       Why we wrote this book

Writing From Birth to Puberty arose directly from the experience of running workshops for parents of young children. Parents requested information or a book written for parents on children's sexuality. We found there was no single book that covered all the material parents wanted. We also have professional concerns over some aspects of children's sexual experimentation at puberty, and believe parent education and awareness about young children's sexuality can limit this behaviour.

It is not for children to read - there are other books written especially for children about sex. In fact most children today will have a better technical knowledge of sex than their parents did at the same age. Our emphasis is on sexuality not sex. Sex education is about the biological facts. Sexuality education is more holistic and includes family and lifestyle issues. However, from our experience of teaching and working with young people we believe children need to start learning about sex well before they reach adolescence. Young children are engaging in sexual activity or are under pressure to do so without an understanding of the physical, emotional or ethical implications.

We live in New Zealand and despite its isolation our young children are exposed to messages about sex through the media: TV, video, through music lyrics, movies, magazines and the Internet. Many of the messages and images are of concern to parents or are inappropriate for the age of the child. Parents around the world face a similar challenge - how to help their children develop a healthy sexuality in an environment of increasing exposure to media messages about sex.

What fresh insights into child sexuality can we give from this part of the world? First, a diverse cultural perspective, with examples from Maori and Pacific Island parents as well as European New Zealanders. Second, New Zealand has a progressive primary school health and sexuality education curriculum, in which parent input is encouraged. We are promoting a collaborative approach between parents and teachers to deliver a holistic sexuality program from the time your child starts school. And finally, our own professional experience gained in 20 years of adult, family and sexuality education.

Paperback 200 pages; Suntime; ISBN 0-473-07531-8; Dimensions (in cms): 14.85 x 21

Copyright © Gill Lough & Max Saunders