Book Review: The Sex-Wise Parent - Central Minnesota Mom

Title: The Sex-Wise Parent
Author: Janet Rosenzweig, MS, PhD, MPA
ISBN-10: 1-61608-509-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-61608-509-4
Suggested Retail: $24.95
On Sale April 1, 2012
Skyhorse Publishing, Hardcover

About the Book:

Every year 70,000 to 90,000 children are sexually abused, and most don’t have the words or understanding to explain what was done to them. Having the “sex talk” with your kids doesn’t have to be a scary or awkward event and could save them from serious harm. Armed with Dr. Janet Rosenzweig’s groundbreaking book, The Sex-Wise Parent (April 2012), parents can help protect their children from sexual abuse, trauma, and bullying by equipping them with the knowledge that they need. Even though it may seem like an uncomfortable topic, there is no substitute for open discussion when it comes to raising a sexually safe and healthy person.

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month and The Sex–Wise Parent is a much-needed addition to the conversation about keeping our children safe. Dr. Rosenzweig offers parents the tools to start talking, including:

· Ten essential reasons why parents must talk with their kids about sex

· How to articulate your family’s values about sexuality

· Anatomy and physiology for grownups

· Assessing the sexual climate in your child’s school

· Specific tips and tactics to deal with concerns from the Internet to summer camp

· And much, much more

A must read for parents and guardians, The Sex–Wise Parent is a fantastic, up-to-date tool for helping families get a grip on communication and knowledge when it comes to the most delicate of subjects. Don’t let your children go blindly into an increasingly adult world—protect and empower them with the help of Dr. Rosenzweig’s expert wisdom.

Review:

My parents never talked about sex and so my education on the subject came from peers, a little from my school curriculum, and television. I was personally interested in reviewing The Sex-Wise Parent as a resource to help me talk with my children and hopefully keep it from being an awkward and terrifying conversation.

Ms. Rosenzweig shares her experience in child abuse prevention, ideas on how to explain human anatomy and physiology to children, how to get involved in the structure of your local school’s sex education curriculum, and just the strong need to teach empathy to our children in accepting others who are different from themselves, plus much more.

Janet also sites some valuable information from David Walsh, Ph.D., in her book. I had the opportunity to hear Mr. Walsh speak on understanding the adolescent brain a few years ago in my local community. The information he provided was truly enlightening.

I am sometimes in disbelief with the thought of my young children someday becoming sexual beings, but it is part of being human and is inevitable. As Ms. Rosenzweig states, “we as parents have an important role to help give our children the tools to prepare him/her for a safe and healthy adult sex life. Silence can speak louder than words.”

I want the opportunity to try and educate my children so they don’t learn it from someone else and possibly incorrect information. Janet points out how we must find the courage to be uncomfortable and make conscious decisions about what we want our children to know and how to instill our family values.

Just a few weeks ago my five-year-old asked if I knew girls sometimes married girls and so I did my best to explain that loving families can be made of two dads or two moms or a mom and a dad. I am not sure what spurred her comment, but I am glad she did share it with me.

If you are looking for ways to talk to your child about sex and how to keep them safe, consider The Sex-Wise Parent.

About the Author:

Janet Rosenzweig, MS, PhD, MPA, is a research associate for Prevent Child Abuse America and a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Penn State, her PhD in social work from Rutgers, and her MPA from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. From 2001 to 2007, she was the executive director of Prevent Child Abuse NJ. She lives with her husband in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to produce this review. No other compensation was received. The thoughts and feelings expressed are my own. No other compensation was received for this review.

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