to expect not to see sex mentioned in a book aimed at young girls?

[emkana]

Is it a German thing maybe?

I am currently reading this German book to dd1, who is just seven. The book has received lots of praise in Germany, it is generally recommended for age 8 and above, but there is no mention whatsoever that it would be unsuitable for girls younger than that, and as dd1 is quite mature I decided to read it to her.

In one chapter the class in which the main character is discusses chickens, and the teacher says "eggs are made from chickens having sex, the cockerel jumps onto the hen and has sex with the hen. That's how the egg develops, similar to humans." then a child says "but in humans the man doesn't jump onto the woman." the children laugh and the teacher says "no humans do it in a more cosy way."

I sort of jumped at the mention of sex before I had got to that bit so I left that part completely out because I just didn't want to have that conversation with dd1 at that time. AIBU to be suprised to find a passage like this in a book for fairly young childrne?

yeah but emkana can bw forgiven of linking awreness of sex with loss of innocence. She exchplained an everthin'

I have those passing glances moments with dp when we both realise I have inadvertedly got yet another grandparent dying book out of library. I hope he doesn't think I am channeling bad thoughts about inlaws.

As an aside I could get all riled about equation of innocence loss to age-appropriate knowledge too. especially when those who profess to protect dcs 'innocence' stick them in those short little tops that say 'c'mon boys' and di al they can to sexualise them with hair and piercings but that's a hole nuther thread

Well, it does sound like a bit of an odd book, but personally I would take it as an opportunity to explain sex to her as I would hope to have done so at that point.

Definately take a look at Mummy laid an Egg and then see what you think of the German book, its a bit..... ahem, especially the diagrams!!

Also Forever by Judy Bloom but then I was a bit older than 8 when I read that. Probably around 11/12.

I expect you might want read Jaquline wilson before your dd too.

Some good books (and some occasioanal reference to sex)

oh and malorie blackman - some ace books (with occasional reference to sex)

tbh at 8ish a lot of books begin to have the odd reference then once into about 10 and above there are more.

Go on, get on with it and have a chat about sex. WHy haven't you yet anyway?

I know Mummy laid an egg, but that's a different thing, because it was specifically written to explain about sex wasn't it?

meant to be a in there so it sounded more like a nudge than an order!

i wouldn't personally have a problem with it. i think children should just sort of growing up knowing about sex without the big sit down conversation. from about age 3 seems the right sort of age for them to gradually start learning about it.

Message withdrawn

book sounds odd.
everyone seems to agree the kids should be told early? What age?

OP dd is 7 - everybody agree she should know already? I just had baby, so our ds know all about 'how babies are made' in terms of sperm + egg = baby, but we've never mentioned how the sperm gets to egg, iyswim.

Should we be having this convo?

btw, forgot to say, German stuff is plain weird. At Frauenarzt, flicking through mag & big centre page spread of 2 stark bollock naked 16 year olds ( 1 boy & 1 girl) and they did look like kids too, both naked, with absolutely no body hair at all!?? Boy and girl both pube-less nudey and so young. I can't imagine a UK teen magazine having full frontal hairless nudity on such young kids.

ah but Germans are certainly less prudish as a nation. In the summer in Munich the main river running thru the city centre allows naked swimming and there's lots of it. Also the saunas are all mixed. Can you imagine that here in uptight england!!!

no it's not a German thing emkana. We have read many many German books (dd is the same age as your dd) and not once in however many hundred books there were have we come across any mention of sex. Even in books for much older dc. It is not at all a widespread phenomenon

There are "where do we come from?" type factual books of course but I have never encountered sex mentioned in any way in a book of fiction for dc.

It's that particular book/author not German children's fiction and I would have been very surprised to have come across that too.