101 Questions Kids Really Ask

A few weeks ago, I received a copy of a wonderful question and answer book on sexuality that was put together by Mary H. Halter, founder of Healthy Edudynamics, an organization that educates young people by providing them with the knowledge and space to develop a healthy respect for their own bodies and the bodies of others. Set up in chapters focusing on the real questions that kids of all ages ask, the answers provide parents and educators, and even kids themselves, with accurate information that can help guide them through puberty.

While the questions from the serious (What would happen to the baby if a pregnant woman did use drugs?) to the more innocent (Why do girls’ breasts grow bigger and boys’ don’t?), there are also questions that are pretty funny, from an adult perspective but can seem quite important – and perhaps scary – to a child (How many minutes do you have to stay in sex?)

Mary provides honest, accurate and age appropriate responses which parents can alter for their own children depending on the situation and how much your child is able to comprehend.

101 Questions Kids Really Ask…And the Answers They Need to Know is available through the Healthy Edudynamics website, along with a DVD that provides a comprehensive health education program for homes, schools, churches and community organizations.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Mamavation

It’s been an amazing ride so far, participating in so many online networks that have led me to some pretty fabulous people. I’m heading to BlogHer this week to meet many of these individuals in real life for the first time, but before I get there, I wanted to stop and talk about one woman who truly has inspired me.

Ali (@PickleSugarPlum) of The Rehan Family, is hoping to be voted in as the first Mamavation Mom and I’m encouraging you all to vote for her as well.

Now, you may know one of the other moms in the running for this and I know they’re all equally worthy and as inspiring, but since I know Ali, I wanted to show my support by sharing with her how she’s already motivated me, with or without the official title.

I met Ali at the Mom’s Nite Out event here in San Diego back in May and have since seen her at Tweetups. I met her husband, learned about her desire to start her own business and have laughed with her over dinner. Nothing about our conversations ever led me to believe that she was uncomfortable with her weight or that it had started to affect her self-esteem.

Many of us use humor to cover up our insecurities. I’m guilty of this, for sure. Growing up, I never had an issue with my weight. I had a healthy pregnancy and was able to lose the weight afterward, but it’s been only recently (after my divorce) that I started putting on a few pounds here and there. I’ve gotten used to asking for larger sizes in the dressing room but that doesn’t mean that I’m comfortable with my weight. I make jokes about it and even though I’m constantly swearing at the bathroom scale, no one around me would ever know that my weight was an issue.

I don’t want to go into the whole body image thing and how media continues to remind us (and young viewers absorbing it all) that we could all stand to lose a few pounds or change the color of our hair or get those teeth whitened. It’s all around us. Every day, the “need” to improve ourselves, physically.

Ali is very brave and I extend to her the biggest congratulations on putting herself out there. You’ll see what I mean when you watch her VLOG entry. Voting for the first Mamavation Mom ends soon so head on over and cast your vote. The winner will be announced on July 31st.

Mamavation is a social experiment and weight loss campaign on twitter, created by Bookieboo, an online support group for moms trying to lose weight.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home

Vagina Festival: Only in NYC

Vagina Festival is a visual and performance art experience, organized by artist-activist, Alexandra Jacoby. It is an outgrowth of her project, vagina vérité®—an unabashed exploration of the plain, ordinary, mysterious matter of vaginas.

VAGINA FESTIVAL is an opportunity to have conversations we don’t typically get to have – in ways we don’t typically get to have them. Through visual art, performance, speaker presentations and interactive activities, Vagina Festival forms a welcoming space for exploring sexuality, body image, personal identity, health and well-being.

At Vagina Festival, we exchange ideas, challenge cultural norms and celebrate women. Their aim is to engage people by creating a fun, moving, thought-provoking experience.

Vagina Festival is made possible by generous sponsors and volunteers who are passionate about creating conversation. If you’d like to be a part of organizing and promoting Vagina Festival, go now to sign up.

October 24-26, 2008
Sage Theater
711 Seventh Avenue, 2nd FL
New York, NY 10036

Vagina Festival is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non profit arts service organization. Contributions on behalf of Vagina Festival may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. Donations can be made by credit card, or by check.

Happy Healthy Hip Parenting
Peace Begins in the Home