Reddit mentions: The best teen & young adult personal health books

Get him a book and discuss it together. Note the second half of that sentence - this doesn't get you off the hook from talking to him, but gives you a place to start and some idea of age-appropriate language. It's Perfectly Normal is widely recognized as one of the best sex ed books out there (and does cover masturbation); if you want something for boys specifically, you could try the Boy's Guide to Becoming a Teen or The Body Book for Boys (not completely sure if they both cover masturbation so you might want to read some reviews first).

Having said that, I'm wondering why Mom wants you to be the one to have this conversation in the first place? Do you have a relationship with him such that he would feel comfortable talking about such personal stuff with you? Otherwise I would probably suggest that she bring it up with him first, and then you can mention that if he has any questions he'd feel more comfortable asking another guy, that you'd be happy to chat with him too.

BQ Off the top of my head, this is one of my all time favorites.

Yesterday got lots done. Enjoyed a beautiful walk home. Helped an adorable German lady find the bakery. Still didn't solve my work issue. sigh

Yesterday my one and only baby is 13 today. How did that happen? Yesterday he learned to shave. Today I gave him this book (with a note explaining that he's not ready FOR sex, but he's ready to know about it). I made bacon and french toast for him for breakfast. He ate almost a whole loaf of bread's worth. Tonight his dad and girlfriend and he are coming over for soup and focaccia and cake.

• Work - do you really have to ask? We all know. pounds head against wall
  
• Exercise - bike to and from work (first bike commute of spring!), something at lunch. Maybe a walk outside. Gotta soak up the rays while I can. Maybe a quick run/walk outside, if it's warm enough for that.
  
• Life - host birthday dinner!

Alright here's a list of things to check out! Your poor friend, it'll be hilarious!

Post Its Cover everything!

Pink Butterfly wall decals

String of LEDs

Washi Tape This tape is great because you can apply it to all sorts of surfaces.

More Washi Tape Seriously consider it for decorating.

Pink Diamond confetti Sprinkle the bling.

Lipstick pens

Pink Diary with lock Diaries are kinda girlie at least when they look like that.

Light Reading in the same vein as this pick up a couple of girlie magazines and throw them on his desk/ work area. Seventeen, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, etc. Maybe a Bridal magazine? Those are more expensive

Shuttle pens

Hello Kitty Duct Tape

Hello Kitty Mouse Pad

Edited to add: pink is the new black

Have a grown-up style conversation with her about it. I hate to burst your bubble, but she isn't a baby anymore. Some girls start menstruating as early as her age. She's probably noticed boys, and has thought about her body in different ways than before.

Explain to her that you know what her friend searched and you want to be able to make sure that she doesn't have any misconceptions or questions.

Side note: IMO, the best book out there for puberty info is My Body, My Self. Here's an amazon link.

Sounds to me like you handled it well. Does she have any "appropriate" sources to consult when she is curious? Our daughter has these books:

• https://smile.amazon.com/Whats-Happening-Me-Susan-Meredith/dp/0794512674/
  
• https://smile.amazon.com/Its-Not-Stork-Families-Friends/dp/0763633313/
  
• https://smile.amazon.com/Its-So-Amazing-Families-Library/dp/0763668745
  
• https://smile.amazon.com/Its-Perfectly-Normal-Changing-Growing/dp/0763668729
  
  We read them with her, and they are in her room so she can look at them on her own if she wants.
  
  > it’s still not allowed at her age
  
  I just read some study about how drug talks with kids are more effective when parents explain the why behind things, so make sure you are doing this. I'd probably say something about how porn is a completely unrealistic portrayal of adult sexuality, and how since she is just learning, it can teach her things that are not true, and that could make it harder for her to good meaningful relationships later in life.

Yep, we had this problem at our house too. Much nakedness, way too long. I think it's best to be honest, maybe give her a book like this or this and say "I love how self-confident you are about your body, but it's not appropriate to run around naked now that you've started developing, okey doke?"

A lot of great suggestions in this thread!

Something that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that it's really crucial that you talk to your daughter about healthy sexuality at this point. Here's a few books that I quickly found on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/S-E-X-All-You-Need---Know-Progressive-Sexuality/dp/1600940102/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406694544&sr=1-9

http://www.amazon.com/Being-Teen-Everything-Relationships-Identity/dp/0812978617/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406694706&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Teens-Uncensored-Guide-Safety/dp/0981973329/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406694745&sr=1-15

http://www.amazon.com/Questions-Youd-Never-Your-Parents/dp/1596438681/ref=sr_1_28?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406694780&sr=1-28

http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Guide-Life-Growing-Fabulous/dp/1400315948/ref=sr_1_31?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406694813&sr=1-31

"Let's start with what you know."

I'm going to remember that for my own kids, brilliant idea. My parents kinda deflected it when I first asked, so when I was 11 they gave me this book. It was really useful. There's a version for girls as well.

Oh man, I was totally going to recommend this book but I thought it wasn't around anymore. My mom is a nurse, so she had no problem telling me how things were, but most of my friends were given a copy of The Care and Keeping of You at one point or another.

This one was popular too: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Happening-Body-Book-Girls/dp/1557044449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205158158&sr=1-1

Hi everyone! I'm the author of the book, Nikol Hasler. A friend of mine saw this show up on reddit and sent me here.

There's an updated and improved version that was released last year. http://amzn.com/1936976846

The new version is for "beginners" not only teens, so it's appropriate for college students as well. There's also a new chapter on scary technology. Ooooooh, technology.

Thanks, OP, for the kind words on the book.

I recommend the book It's Perfectly Normal.

Totally! I'm sure there have been men who were interested in me who never got a shot because I a) couldn't pick up on their interest and b) didn't know how to show mine. There have definitely been men I never expressed my attraction to because I was taught that men are supposed to do the pursuing. Did you ever read Captivating or And the Bride Wore White? These are the kinds of books that fuck girls up.

No idea if it's really comparable, but I was given this. There's a version for girls also.

I can't recommend either of them specifically, but I definitely think this was more comfortable to everyone involved than one big "the talk". Not that we never talked about any of this stuff (especially "Wear a condom, stupid!"), but it's a lot less intimidating to read a book on your own and on your own time, than try to talk about it with the two people you most want to imagine never have sex, even though your very existence is evidence to the contrary.

Great Idea! http://lplonline.org/?page_id=68

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Perfectly-Normal-Changing-Growing/dp/0763624330/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219964910&sr=8-1

The point is that parents should educate their children. Children need to be educated and they aren't being. It's not irrelevant, because it's a fucking problem. It's not happening where it should. Websites like makelovenotporn.com can be better resources than the others. Many of the resources parents use to educate their kids about sex are clinical and useless. They do not address the questions kids actually have about sex. Note, I was given What's Happening to My Body Which while very helpful regarding puberty, did not answer most of my questions about sex. Scarleteen is a great resource, and I'm sure there are others, but I can not possibly understand why adding another resource is going to somehow negatively impact the amount of available education.

Also, I'm acting of freewill if I drink nothing but koolaid because it is all my parents keep in the house, it doesn't mean that if I knew apple juice existed I wouldn't like it better.

Usborne Books & More has a wonderful book called "What's Happening to Me?" There is a book for girls and a book for boys.




https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Happening-Me-Susan-Meredith/dp/0794512674

It's unlikely this is by Shaw. The earliest citation in Google Books is from Burke Hedges, You, Inc: Discover the C.E.O. Within! of 1996, where it is attributed not to Shaw but to novelist Mary McCarthy. It's subsequently attributed to Shaw in Espeland and Verdick, Making Every Day Count: Daily Readings for Teens (1998) (visible with Amazon search inside).

Book: Sex, Puberty, and All That Stuff: A Guide to Growing Up
http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Puberty-All-That-Stuff/dp/0764129929

And a job.

http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Happening-Body-Book-Boys/dp/1557044473/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1333597071&sr=8-5

My parents handed me this book and said "here, read this". My mom even asked my 4th grade teacher if I could read it in class @_@

It was pretty ridiculous, but I was by far the most educated kid throughout elementary school :P

Here is the mobile version of your link

Pfff, that's communism plain n simple.

[Chicken Pox (Deadly Diseases and Epidemics)]
(http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Pox-Deadly-Diseases-Epidemics/dp/1604132272/ref=sr_1_17?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334884900&sr=1-17&tag=bookforyoums-20)

From the minds behind Scarleteen: Wait What?

Check out this book:

Humility Rules

Get a basic book. Maybe something like this? And maybe a book about consent.

When Plague Strikes + 3 part video

we all like horror themed videos right?

>Once again I trust the WHO more than the PhD Kent State slate blogger who had made me fear her non science non explanation based on her opinion.

This person has literally written the book on Ebola.

But do go on trying to twist her language in a manner that clouds her assertion that

>so though aerosols aren’t a transmission route between primates (including humans, as well as non-human primates used experimentally), pigs may be a bigger threat as far as aerosols...So unless you’re sitting next to an Ebola-infected pig, seriously, airborne transmission of Ebola viruses isn’t a big concern.

Food Canning
Part of the reason that the Poles have such a high botulism rate
is the fact that people often use a system of weck jars (weckglas)
to hermetically seal cooked food at home. Weck jars are glass
jars with rubber seals and a device used to create a vacuum.
The two major problems with this technique are inadequate
heating during the preparation of food and failure to follow
detailed instructions during wecking, which leave spores viable
and permits toxin formation. Destruction of spores requires a
temperature of boiling or above for at least 24 hours and the
wecking process does not accomplish this.

Boiling Water vs. Pressure Cooking
Two methods are used when doing home canning the boiling-
water-bath method and the pressure canner or pressure
cooker procedure. In both procedures, foods are heated in
containers to temperatures that should destroy the microorganisms
and their endospores, if any, that may otherwise
cause sickness or spoilage of the food. The method chosen
usually depends on the type of food that will be canned. The
boiling-water-bath method is normally used to can foods that
have a very low pH, otherwise known as high-acid foods such
as tomatoes, fruits, pickles, or sauerkraut. Table 8.1 uses the
terminology of high-acid and low-acid foods. A low-acid food
has a pH that is closer to 7, which is considered neutral. With
the boiling-water-bath method, jars of food are completely
covered with boiling water and heated for a specific period
of time. A rough guide is about 5 to 10 minutes for pickles;
10 minutes for jam; about 20 to 30 minutes for fruit, fruit pie
fillings, and applesauce; and 30 to 45 minutes or more for
tomatoes. (Begin timing after the water begins to boil.) The
time depends on the food, and the state or county extension
agencies can provide information about the time necessary to
heat each type of food.

When a pressure canner is used, the jars of food are heated
under pressure to temperatures in excess of 240°F (115.56°C).
This is a temperature above boiling and is necessary to destroy
the endospores of C. botulinum. Low-acid foods can be safely
canned using this method. Carrots are low-acid foods, so Mrs.
O’Riley should have used a pressure cooker to do her carrot
canning. Because she used a boiling-water canning method,
the spores survived, and when they germinated, they produced
their deadly toxins. As she found out, even a taste of food containing
these toxins can be potentially fatal.

The major factor that determines whether food will be
processed using a pressure cooker or the boiling-water bath is
the acidity of the food. Pickled foods and most fruits have a pH
that is acidic enough (below pH 4.6) to prevent the growth of
the vegetative cells of C. botulinum. In most of the cases of commercial
or residential canning that have led to botulism, the pH
of the materials involved was 5 or higher.

source: http://www.amazon.com/Botulism-Deadly-Diseases-Epidemics-Emmeluth/dp/1604132353