I bought this book for Kerri. It talks about everything a young girl entering puberty should know. And maybe a few topics I wasn't ready to discuss.
Kerri decided she would read the book privately, and ask questions when needed. So far, she has asked several: about tampons, breasts, eating disorders, and shaving. Kerri listened attentively to my answers, asked logical questions to clarify when needed, and was very matter-of-fact in our discussions. I had to keep reminding myself that she just turned 8, and that I was not talking to a teenager.
So far, she has been studying this book every night. She keeps going back to certain sections. But she is not worried, or scared. She seems to be taking all this information in stride, like she has always done with her many biology and anatomy books. You see, for the past year, Kerri also has been reading a college level, medical student's book that Tia sent her. So this book is right up her alley.
I can't help but compare how different she is at 8 than I was. I was in no way ready to read or learn about this material, or take it seriously. Kerri has had way more education on the topics of conception, pregnancy, and the functionality of a woman's reproductive organs than I ever had. She knows about sexually transmitted diseases (on a high level). My mom never talked about these things with me. I learned what little I knew from my best friend and her mother. It was a taboo topic growing up in my house.
So I chose to be different than my mom, and educate my daughter. And sometimes her questions make me uncomfortable, but I put those feelings aside. I am grateful that she trusts me and talks to me, instead of asking her best friend - or someone else's mother. I know what my daughter is learning. Information is power. And with power, comes responsibility. And that is a lesson I hope Kerri is learning at the same time she is learning about the changes her body is going through.
By the way, no one has paid me, and the opinions expressed here are my own. I just thought I would share a great book for girls who are ready to learn about puberty and the changes they are facing.
Life with Kerri is feeling a bit awkward, but these conversations are so very necessary.