Today’s guest is Bonnie J. Rough, who is an author, journalist, and speaker focusing on families, health, education, parenting and sexuality. Her latest book is Beyond Birds & Bees: Bringing Home a New Message to Our Kids about Sex, Love, and Equality. has written recently for the New York Times on teaching young children about boundaries and consentandthe value of childhood crushes, The Atlantic on both the link betweensex ed and gender equalityandimproving school sex ed, the Washington Post onwhy it’s important to teach sex ed in mixed-gender groups, and New York Magazine onraising kids without sexual shame. Join us!"What I learned is that the focus on helping kids wait longer is really not and should not be the end all. It’s really more about how can we prepare them to have a positive experience.”“The Dutch parents who I met and the American ones too who have inspired me on this really are prioritizing their relationship with their kids over their ideals about what and when their kids will do things.”“If we have those open lines of communication we actually have more control than if we forbid.”“The more open and transparent we can be with our kids the better.”What you’ll hear in this episode:

Cultural differences between the US and Amsterdam around gender equality, nudity, and sexuality

Normalizing conversations about sexuality

Separating nudity from eroticism

Differences in sexual health outcomes between US and Dutch teenagers

Ways to keep lines of communication open with your kids

Double standards applied to boys and girls

Why helping your child maintain cross-gender friendships

The importance of knowing your kids’ friends

What the research says about teenage sex

What to do when you feel you’re late to the party in talking to your kids about sex

The importance of not having an agenda when having those curious conversations with kids

Owning when we feel awkward or uncomfortable

Navigating fear and baggage to become available for conversations with our kids

Expanding our own knowledge base to have better conversations

Where to find Bonnie:WebsiteTwitterFacebookInstagramLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices