Reddit reviews What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys

Here are the sources in no particular order, I had to reply to my comment because it went too long. Sorry!

A great book about talking about sex with young children: https://www.amazon.ca/Whats-Big-Secret-Talking-about/dp/0316101834/177-9025253-5216954?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0316101834&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&tag=wwwoptionsfor-20

A good book talking to parents about how to talk about sexuality with their kids, written by a child psychologist:https://www.amazon.ca/But-Howd-There-First-Place/dp/0738205729?ie=UTF8&camp=15121&creative=330641&creativeASIN=0738205729&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&tag=wwwoptionsfor-20

There's also a lot of age appropriate information for teens and preteens even on YouTube actually, that you can easily watch together. I particularly like Sexplanations, a series done by sexologist Dr. Lindsey Doe. https://www.youtube.com/user/sexplanations

The Mayo Clinic has three guides on talking your preschool ages, school aged, and teen aged child about sex: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/sex-education/art-20044104, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/sex-education/art-20046025, http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/sex-education/art-20044034 These all offer the fairly standard information, however Mayo is a great source of medical accurate information on STIs.

I quite like this Planned Parenthood resource on answering questions: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/parents/talking-to-kids-about-sex-and-sexuality

For accurate information about STIs I usually go to two places, Planned Parenthood, which is a little more accessible, and the Public Health Agency of Canada which is more in depth. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex, http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/std-mts/

The Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, and RAINN both have consent and assault related resources. WCSAP is better for learning how to talk to kids about certain information, and creating a culture of consent and bodily autonomy, while RAINN provides statistics and information regarding assault that's more appropriate for an older audience. http://www.wcsap.org/teaching-consent-without-sex, https://rainn.org/statistics

In terms of some of the tools I use to inform how I understand sexual health, and healthy sexuality models, Defining Sexual Health, a descriptive overview, by Dr. Edwards and Coleman published in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour provides a comprehensive overview of the varying definitions of sexual health used by leading health organizations: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:ASEB.0000026619.95734.d5 And The Sexual Health Model: application of a sexological approach to HIV prevention by Dr. Beatrice Robinson et all, published in Health Education Research is a bit dated (2000), and obviously is about HIV prevention, but it talks a lot of sexual health models, and the comprehensive nature of the components of healthy sexuality, as well as lists a myriad of additional academic resources. It's also free to read I believe. http://her.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/1/43.full

Not the original poster here but we used What's the big secret?

What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316101834/

We have What's the Big Secret and my 4.5 year old loves it. There's also It's Not the Stork, though I haven't read that one personally. I have The Care and Keeping of You saved for when she's older...not sure how much it covers where babies come from, though it felt related enough to bring up here :) We just go for honest age-appropriate answers to questions--trying not to give TOO much information and just answering what was asked (which is hard).

Edit to add: We also use proper anatomy terms. She knows she has a vulva, boys have a penis, dads have the sperm, mom has the egg, babies grow in the uterus. She also knows about fallopian tubes and vas deferens, but gets them mixed up, which I find hilarious.

Yup. Also:

https://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-Stork-Families-Friends/dp/0763633313/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541273056&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Its-Perfectly-Normal-Changing-Growing/dp/0763668729/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541273106&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-Come-nonsense-illustrations-ebook/dp/B01A4ANV4M/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Big-Secret-Talking-about/dp/0316101834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541273157&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Big-Secret-Talking-about/dp/0316101834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1541273157&sr=1-1&keywords=whats+the+big+secret

I've heard this is a really good one for his age. You could also try this or this.

What's the Big Secret is a good one for that age. It's illustrated by Marc Brown (of Arthur fame).

It's Not the Stork is by the same author as It's So Amazing (another great book on this topic but for older kids).

Also by that author and age appropriate, Who Has What?.

Conversely, you could just go for a straight anatomy book. Perhaps something like this one. Which just covers body parts and system functions without getting into sex/puberty/reproduction.

This is off-topic, but slightly related since it involves private parts. Since you're a single father and will have to answer these questions, I did want to mention it. I hope you don't mind.

What's the Big Secret?: Talking about Sex with Girls and Boys is a really great tool to have ready for when kids ask THOSE questions. It's by the couple that does the Arthur show on PBS, and the illustrations are informative and not creepy. I'm not saying you should go get it and read it to her now, but it was a big help to me to have it on hand when my younger daughter had questions. The age range on here says 4 and up.

http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Big-Secret-Talking-about/dp/0316101834/

Good luck to you, wishing you all the best.