Beyond Birds And Bees

A provocative inquiry into how we teach our children about bodies, sex, relationships and equality--with revelatory, practical takeaways from the author's research and eye-opening observations from the world-famous Dutch approach Award-winning author Bonnie J. Rough never expected to write a book about sex, but life handed her a revelation too vital to ignore. As an American parent grappling with concerns about raising children in a society steeped in stereotypes and sexual shame, she couldn't quite picture how to teach the facts of life with a fearless, easygoing, positive attitude. Then a job change relocated her family to Amsterdam, where she soon witnessed the relaxed and egalitarian sexual attitudes of the Dutch. There, she discovered, children learn from babyhood that bodies are normal, the world's best sex ed begins in kindergarten, cooties are a foreign concept, puberty is no big surprise, and questions about sex are welcome at the dinner table. In Beyond Birds and Bees, Rough reveals how although normalizing human sexuality may sound risky, doing so actually prevents unintended consequences, leads to better health and success for our children, and lays the foundation for a future of gender equality. Exploring how the Dutch example translates to American life, Rough highlights a growing wave of ambitious American parents, educators, and influencers poised to transform sex ed--and our society--for the better, and shows how families everywhere can give a modern lift to the birds and bees. Down to earth and up to the minute with our profound new cultural conversations about gender, sex, power, autonomy, diversity, and consent, Rough's careful research and engaging storytelling illuminate a forward path for a groundbreaking generation of Americans who want clear examples and actionable steps for how to support children's sexual development--and overall wellbeing--from birth onward at home, in schools, and across our evolving culture.

“The Talk.” It’s one of the most daunting prospects parents face. Communicating the richness of Catholic teaching on sexuality in a faithful and effective way can be an overwhelming responsibility. But does it have to be so? In this thoroughly revised version of Beyond the Birds and the Bees, Greg and Lisa Popcak empower you with the tools needed to move well beyond “the Talk” by offering a comprehensive guide to raising sexually whole and holy children. Using the riches of Blessed John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, the Popcaks help you safely navigate your children from infancy through the teenage years and beyond. This book answers the questions parents may have, including: What lessons must my children learn at each stage to develop a healthy Christian sexuality? How can I have age-appropriate conversations about sensitive issues with my children? How can I teach my children what it takes to be a true Catholic man or woman? How can I help my children have healthy, Christian dating relationships? …and much more

A teen who's never even been kissed becomes her school's unofficial sex expert in Olivia Hinebaugh's fun, voice-y contemporary YA romance debut. Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke feels like the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she's been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita. But then everything changes. When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls' restroom. Meanwhile, things with Theo have become complicated, and soon Lacey is not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but her own as well.

In this surprising and remarkably practical book, Dr. Skotnicki reveals the harmful effects of modern skincare habits and provides a step-by-step guide to preserve the microbiome, fight aging and develop beautiful, problem-free skin. Women, men and children are having more skin problems today than ever before. Sensitive skin prevalence has skyrocketed, and the number of people reacting to cosmetics is climbing. Why? Dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki argues that the cause is a key element of our contemporary lifestyle: the grooming and beauty habits that the advertising and personal-care product industries have encouraged us to pursue. Those miraculous cleansers, creams and balms we're buying to protect our outer layer may actually end up harming the body's largest organ. In Beyond Soap, Dr. Skotnicki argues that the best state for normal skin is the natural state—the one that avoids disturbing the skin's protective barrier and the bacteria that accompanied the body throughout its evolution. A combination of diagnosis and prescription, Dr. Skotnicki explains the problem with society's current cleansing and beauty habits, then provides a practical guide on how to fix things with a 3-step product-elimination diet that will help you remove unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients from your beauty and skincare regime, returning the skin to the condition nature intended. Beyond Soap also includes indispensable advice on how to wash and care for the skin of adults, babies and children, followed by a common-sense beauty regimen intended to stave off aging, reduce skin problems and return the face and body to its natural glow.

Life itself could never have been sustainable without seabirds. As Adam Nicolson writes: "They are bringers of fertility, the deliverers of life from ocean to land." A global tragedy is unfolding. Even as we are coming to understand them, the number of seabirds on our planet is in freefall, dropping by nearly 70% in the last sixty years, a billion fewer now than there were in 1950. Of the ten birds in this book, seven are in decline, at least in part of their range. Extinction stalks the ocean and there is a danger that the grand cry of the seabird colony, rolling around the bays and headlands of high latitudes, will this century become little but a memory. Seabirds have always entranced the human imagination and NYT best-selling author Adam Nicolson has been in love with them all his life: for their mastery of wind and ocean, their aerial beauty and the unmatched wildness of the coasts and islands where every summer they return to breed. The seabird’s cry comes from an elemental layer in the story of the world. Over the last couple of decades, modern science has begun to understand their epic voyages, their astonishing abilities to navigate for tens of thousands of miles on featureless seas, their ability to smell their way towards fish and home. Only the poets in the past would have thought of seabirds as creatures riding the ripples and currents of the entire planet, but that is what the scientists are seeing now today.

• Author Dave Hunter is at the leading edge of bee and pollinator issues • Mason bees are part of the solution to honeybees’ decline • No other bee book addresses the topic with such depth and interest • Includes useful information about leafcutter bees too! The national media regularly features dire stories on honeybee colony collapse and its danger to our food supply. But there's another, unsung bee that has the potential to save the planet—the mason bee. Mason Bee Revolution explains how docile, hard-working, solitary mason bees (and their compatriots, the leafcutter bees) are even more productive pollinators than honeybees, and keeping them can be a fun, easy, backyard hobby for gardeners, conservationists, foodies, and families everywhere. Why these bees? Bee pollination is critical for about 80 percent of US agricultural crops, increasing crop value by an estimated $15 billion annually. Since 2006, nearly a third of all honeybee hives have been lost each year, due to parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, climate change, and a newer malady called Colony Collapse Disorder. While scientists search for answers to save the honeybee, Dave Hunter and his company, Crown Bees, are leading the effort to increase the population of other highly efficient pollinators: One mason bee can produce twelve pounds of cherries, via pollination, where it would take sixty honey bees to achieve the same. Mason Bee Revolution is an easy-to-follow guide to keeping both mason and leafcutter bees. It tells you how to set up, care for, and harvest your own bees and what types of plants and habitat encourage mason and leafcutter bees, as well as provides general information on other common pollinators and bee-related facts, projects, and personalities.

Being a good mom isn't about doing everything right to create a set of perfect trophy children--though every mom has felt the pressure to do just that and to do it all on her own. To ask for help feels like defeat. Yet when we try to do it all by our own strength, we end up depleted, lonely, and ineffective. Heather MacFadyen wants you to know that you are not meant to go it alone. Sharing her most vulnerable, hard mom moments, she shows how moms can be empowered by God, supported by others, and connected with their children. With encouragement and insight, she helps you foster the key relationships you need to be the mom you want to be. Whether you work or stay home, whether you have teenagers or babes in arms, you'll find here a compassionate friend who wants the best--not just for your kids but for you.

How to Raise a Sexually Healthy, Safe, and Informed Child in Our Modern World “A Modern Approach to the Birds and the Bees is the only book you’ll need for teaching sex education... —Amanda DeLis-Mireles, mother of four (ages 4–17) and teacher #1 New Release in Human Sexuality and Health Education & Teaching This book enables parents to engage in effective age-appropriate, evidence-based, integrated discussions with their children to optimize sexual health and reduce risk behaviors. Raise sexually healthy kids. As parents, we want our children to be armed with scientifically accurate sexual education. But many of us lack the information, tools, and skill to be able to effectively engage in these complex conversations with our children. This book is an essential tool for parents, informing them about key issues surrounding sexual health so that they are better equipped to engage in age-appropriate, evidence-based, informed discussions with their children that improve sexual health and reduce risk behaviors throughout their lives. Help your kids through puberty and beyond. Dr. Pickering knows that your children are going to face unique and difficult issues as they grow up. To help you prepare, A Modern Approach to the Birds and the Bees covers controversial and sensitive topics, diving into questions that many parents are afraid to ask. The chapters are written in an accessible format that will be easy for parents to understand and pass on to their kids. This book also takes an inclusive approach to sex education, capturing the unique concerns and questions related to modern sexuality, including: Issues related to social media and the internet Topics such as consent and personal safety Unique concerns in the LGBTQ+ community Parents looking for age-appropriate books on sexuality and puberty like Celebrate Your Body (and Its Changes, Too!), Growing Up Great!, Boys & Sex, and Girls & Sex will love the scientifically based educational tools in A Modern Approach to the Birds and the Bees.