A Biblical and Natural Way to Talk with Your Kids About Puberty

Do you remember talking with your parents about puberty? Were you prepared for the changes that started happening in your body as you navigated the school hallways and locker rooms? Do you have the slightest idea where to start in teaching your kids about this difficult topic from a biblical perspective and in a natural way?

I don’t. Whatever conversations I had with my parents or teachers about puberty (I’m sure they happened), I don’t remember them at all. Add to that my tendency to go blank when an important conversation presents itself, and I am so thankful for biblical resources that help me navigate the murky waters. I have found just that sort of resource in Changes: 7 Biblical Lessons to Make Sense of Puberty.

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Talk with Your Kids About Puberty

Changes: 7 Biblical Lessons to Make Sense of Puberty by Luke and Trisha Gilkerson is an extremely helpful book that guides parents and children in productive conversations about an often awkward topic. Instead of putting it off or diving in with too much too soon, parents can use Changes as a launching pad for ongoing conversation that is appropriate to their child’s age and maturity level. The simple and natural approach provided in Changes, along with the focus on God’s Word and marriage, makes it a must-have for any Christian parent’s library.

What Will You Find in Changes?

Changes starts with an introduction for parents that is very helpful and thought-provoking. It meets our doubts, fears, and questions head-on. In fact, the introduction in itself is a valuable resource. Here’s what it covers:

When we should introduce these topics to our kids
Whether to talk about both girl and boy changes
Whether our children are ready for the study
Chart of changes to expect for different ages and genders

There is the important reminder that puberty is not bad, but rather designed to bring our kids into adulthood. I know I want to be a positive part of that conversation with my children, don’t you?

I want to tell you about a fantastic resource for parents of pre-teens and teens! Relationships is the third book in the sex ed series for parents!

There are 7 lessons that cover what the Gilkersons call the foundational building blocks of biblical sexual values.

Lesson 1 – Just Like Jesus: Growing in Wisdom and Stature
Lesson 2 – Puberty: Just one of Many Changes
Lesson 3 – Hormones: the Catalyst of Change
Lesson 4 – Girls and Boys: Changes We Can Both Expect
Lesson 5 – Girl Changes: Becoming a Woman
Lesson 6 – Boy Changes: Becoming a Man
Lesson 7 – Changes in Desire: The Goodness of Sexual Attraction

The lessons are very conversational and can be used as a script or as a guide. It’s about whatever is appropriate for your child. Each lesson in the study includes an “opening thought” that starts off the conversation. There is a scripture reading along with an explanation of how the scripture applies to the topic. There are then several teaching points in a concise bulleted format and a set of questions for your child that help gauge understanding and drive more meaningful conversation. The lesson ends with a prayer.

Changes is recommended for ages 8-12 and the second in a 3-part book series on sexual education for Christian families. The first is The Talk: 7 Lessons to Introduce Your Child to Biblical Sexuality (recommended for ages 6-10). It is an ideal place to start for the beginning conversations with your children about some of the details of sexuality and reproduction.

The Talk & Changes in Our Home

Our kids are ages 8 and under and we are using The Talk and Changes as extension resources in our regular conversations with our children. At this stage, this is really my preferred method of approaching these topics with my kids. I read the books ahead of time to learn the content and verbiage on my own, and then present it in the context of regular family conversation.

As our children grow and mature, we’ll circle back through these conversations and may bring the studies in as a part of our homeschool or family devotions. They have become an important part of teaching our children God’s design for their bodies and for marriage. I love the biblical foundation of these studies, the conversational approach, and the clarity it brings me as a parent so that I can be intentional in this area instead of just pushing it off or muddling through.