Ten Talks Parents Must Have with Their Children about Sex and Character

I found this book in the store after a friend recommended it to me. It's fantastic! I've never been a big fan of parenting books, but this one allows the parents to figure out themselves exactly what they want to say. No one person could give you personalized advice on how to pass along your values to your child, but these authors helped me clarify my own views in order to pass them along. My 12 year old and I are now on excellent ground for keeping communication open and positive.

If you're looking for help in telling your kids about the birds, the bees and more, this is a great book!Raising kids these days is different from the 70's, when my first batch was young. My youngest is 9, and sometimes it seems there are so many things to talk with him about, I don't know where to begin! Parents of young children in the 21st century have to deal with AIDS, the Internet, 24 hours TV (with suggestive commercials that can be an education in and of themselves), violence in the schools, drugs, teen pregnancy, gay families, stepfamilies, not to mention their own choices in their own teen and young adult years. I like this book because it offers a place for discussion between kids and parents to begin, with cute illustrations and questions that prompt some thoughtful conversations. It suggests that you first ask them what they know about the topic you want to discuss, find out what their friends say and you'll find out what they think, or worry about. The authors suggest you start talking with your preschoolers, so you can set the groundwork for open communications before adolescence sets in. They don't suggest that you tell small children everything, just begin the talk. Although you may think there is time, these days it is very likely that by kindergarten, they are already learning from their peers at school or on the bus -- and some of what they are learning is wrong, some is too much too soon, some may represent values that are totally unacceptable to your family, and much of this may be scary for a young child to hear. There are chapters, questions and illustrations by topic, so you can choose what you want to talk about. Best read the book yourself, first. You might want to think about what your child will ask you (about your past), and how much you'll reveal. A good addition to the family bookshelf after you talk with and listen to your child!

After raising three children and hoping you did and said the right thing along comes a book that would have made it easy to have those talks. I now have grandchildren and helping them by sending this book to their parents will make life a whole lot easier. I can remember one son at the age of 12 asking about masturbation. I don't remember my response but having this book back then would have opened up a meaningful dialogue. Kudos to the authors.

10 Talks is unique in it's approach. It's well written with easy to follow guidelines. The drawings help to broach the subjects. I recommend this book to any parent interested in getting to know their child better.

I just finished watching the Oprah Winfrey show where Dominic Cappello (the co-author of this book)was a guest. The discussion was on how and when it is appropriate to have specific talks with your children. Some of the issues covered in this book are family values, sex, how to be a good friend, personal boundries, etc... They had several parents on the show that read the book because they did not know an appropriate way to bring up some of these touchy subjects. Each parent was thoroughly impressed with the book and talked to their children about the issues discussed within this book. The parents all agreed that they felt a "weight lifted" and could already see positive changes in the way their children are behaving. As soon as the show was over I got on my computer and ordered the book. In today's fast paced world where children are learning more on television than I thought could ever be possible it is important that we instill family values as soon as possible and give our children the opportunity to learn from us instead of strangers. This book gives the guidelines, the icebreakers, the when and where. I can't wait to read it entirely and sit down confidently with my 8 year old daughter and "talk".