Tween Boys and Their Changing Bodies

Raising a tween boy has its fair share of joy and challenges. It’s not a complete bed of roses for your son either as he navigates new feelings and his changing body.

I was raised in an era where the only information you got about your body and growing up came from health class and other kids on the school bus. I think the lack of education came from the thought that “If we don’t speak of it, it won’t happen.”

Tween Boys and Their Changing Bodies | Houston Moms Blog

My son is a sweet, funny, and caring 12-year-old. I’ve known in my heart of hearts that we need to be prepping him for body changes and “the talk” for a while now. But, who wants to admit that your baby is growing up?

I knew that I definitely wanted to get him a book that covered all of the bases. My boy is a reader, so even if I talked him through things – let’s face it, there’s a lot to soak in. So, I figured giving him a book that also covered the topic allows him to have a resource for questions later that he might be afraid to ask.

I started my search on Amazon, because isn’t that were all the books live nowadays? Let me tell you – there is no shortage. It was a daunting task to look through them all. But, here’s the thing: every family has a different set of values and a different moral compass. Use the book preview if you are doing online shopping. It is EYE-OPENING. Literally. Read the reviews. Look over the table of contents.

For my son, I was looking for a book specifically about body changes, not necessarily about sex. Very different topics in my opinion. Some of the books you will find are about both. {I get that – it’s a two birds, one stone approach. Just wasn’t what I was looking for.}  There were books that even went as far as describing anal sex and sexuality. My eyes popped out of my head.

The book that ended up meeting our needs was The Body Book for Boys by Rebecca Paley.

A must-have book for boys looking for straightforward advice about their changing bodies and growing up. There are answers to questions about everything from shaving, vocal changes, bad breath, smelly feet, braces, and acne, to school, sports, girls, friends, family, and more. The Body Book For Boys is complete with tips, quizzes, Q&As, and all of the essential info boys need to know.

I gave the book to my boy and explained a bit of why I thought he needed it. Then, I left him to read it on his own. I could see his progress each night as I watched the bookmark move further and further back in the book. Once he was finished, I asked if he had any questions about what he had read, and we discussed those casually, one-on-one … no pressure, not too much info at one time, and in a truthful manner.

Since that time, we’ve been able to speak about things in passing or even jokingly. Because let’s face it, sometimes you just need to laugh at the things that you can’t change – like your voice cracking. I know that there are going to be more difficult conversations to come, but at least now {hopefully} the door is opened and a dialogue has started.

Boys, they really do need some mom input on this topic. You don’t have to carry the information torch, but be a part of the conversation!

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Stephanie C
Stephanie loves life and living it to the fullest. She always has something new going on, and it is probably the most random thing you’ve ever imagined! A native of Beaver Dam, KY, Stephanie stays busy with her family. She is wife to her hilarious husband Don and is the mother of two tweens – drummer son Avery and dancer daughter Piper. As a family, they enjoy anything fun-in-the-sun and annual trips to Disney World. She lives the good life in the suburbs of Houston and works full-time in the travel industry. A complete social media fanatic, Stephanie is always up on the latest technology. She is a living “Six Degrees of Separation” and seems to have some sort of obscure tie to most anyone you might ask about! Stephanie has been blogging since 2004 at StephanieClick.com. You can also find her @stephanieclick on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.

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