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Get More Info About Dr. Robyn Here:: http://www.DrRobynSilverman.com How to Talk to Kids about Sex, Love and Equality with Bonnie J Rough This podcast will focus on how to talk to kids about sex— beyond the birds and the bees. Building upon what Bonnie J. Rough learned by raising her child in the Dutch community of Amsterdam for 18 months, Rough found that there are ways to help young children to grow up feeling comfortable with their bodies, assertive about their boundaries and their bodily integrity and open to different types of people and their expressions of their sexuality. This podcast gets into how to talk to kids about sex, consent, boundaries, gender, body parts and more. If we’re being honest, parents aren’t usually jumping to have the sex talk with their children— and as we’ve discussed in previouspodcast episodes, it’s not even one talk— it’s many about lots of different facets of bodies and body parts, intercourse, baby making, birth control and more. In the “metoo” era, it’s even more important to widen the conversation to include consent, respect, boundaries, sexual harassment, gender and love. But how can we ensure our kids get all this information if we are timid about talking about it? Is there a way to drop the shame and embarrassment and just make sex ed as easy to discuss as talking to kids about, say, nutrition, time management or finding their passion? And how can we ensure our kids know what they need to know when they need to know it if we keep delaying our talks until we think they really should hear it? The answer may have something to do with learning dutch or at least doing as the dutch do. Author Bonnie J Rough lived in Holland for 18 months and found that the Dutch clearly knew something different about how to raise happy, healthy children who were comfortable with their own bodies and with each other. Their carefree attitudes about nudity and how they explain sex to kids is something we should probably adopt given that, compared to the US, Holland  boasts lower rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases as well as high gender equality, lower numbers of partners and more positive experiences with sex over all. Yes, we’ve got a lot to learn here. The podcast provides: The Dutch vs American view of sex ed, bodies and nudity and why it matters so much. Why having a more open and non-shaming sex ed is so important for our young people Tips:What parents can do when it comes to sex ed and teaching their young kids early How to talk about sex as a way to be close to someone and show love rather than to simply make babies How the conversation about transgender might play out as part of a discussion on gender equality. How to discuss LGBT as part of sex education and gender equality How consent enters this conversation Important Messages: Our culture objectifies girls and women and shames girls and women around their bodies. How can we raise girls and boys in such a culture? Dutch potty trained boys and girls together. Dutch taught that ALL body parts were named as easily as an elbow. Bonnie felt “at home” in her body. The Netherlands- gender equal society. Dutch- all genders know that their gender differences don’t make them more different than they are (and will remain) alike. Non-shaming would mean that they know how their bodies work and what everything is called. They not only learn medical terminology but also world class sexuality lessons on consent, resisting gender stereotypes, relationship skills, what it means to be in love, what healthy friendships look like- these come in hand in hand with learning about bodies. Children need to know that their bodies belong to them and they have the right to say no when they don’t want to be touched and that other people should be obligated to know that and respect that and if they don’t, the other people are wrong and they are in the right to get help. Dutch also learn how they liked to be touched and what their boundaries are. Even if we like to be touched in a certain way, other people may not. Teachers have kids roll up their sleeves, for example, and pinch themselves lightly. Do you like that? Does your neighbor say s/he likes that or no? The children can claim their bodies. Lay the foundation in young kids 0-6 so they can build on these lessons. Begin diaper changes- are you using negative terms (i.e. stinky or gross) or neutral terms (i.e. diaper is full, wet, dry)? What’s your demeanor? How are you handling their different body parts? Be cheerful. We don’t want give our children the idea that while their cheeks and tummies are adorable, there’s something yucky between their legs. Teach kids the names of their body parts- don’t leave out their genitals.  We don’t want to send the message that these are ‘unmentionables.’ These are ways we might unintentionally plant those seeds of shame. It’s easy to practice talking about these things around a baby. You always need t