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Children's books

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Original poster

My dd's(aged 8) teacher has just recommended 'The little book of growing up'!

27 replies

rinol · 13/10/2008 17:15

Don't think its appropriate for her age!...Just need feedback from other Mums before i make a complaint!...The book is by Vic Parker....

OP posts:
Saturn74 · 13/10/2008 17:18

Have you read it?

allgonebellyup · 13/10/2008 17:18

why isnt it appropriate?
my dd knows how babies are made and what periods are.

BloodAndMutts · 13/10/2008 17:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FAQ · 13/10/2008 17:19

never heard of it or read it - but just read this review and doesn't told very appropriate for and 8yr old to me.

Saturn74 · 13/10/2008 17:21

it is aimed at primary school age girls

mabanana · 13/10/2008 17:21

Sounds fine to me. I would have appreciated being be told I would come out of the spotty horror of adolescence and be attractive - and I don't care how unPC than is!

BloodAndMutts · 13/10/2008 17:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mankyscotslass · 13/10/2008 17:30

Lo0ks ok to me. The age of puberty is lowering now, and I would imagine that there are at least a few in your DD's class that are showing the signs. I'm sure I saw on here that it's anytime for m 8 onward now....

notsoteenagemum · 13/10/2008 17:33

That book looks like what I have been looking for for DD also 8, I'd have to read it through first though.
Did the teacher recommend it to you'r DD in particular or just in general for the girls in the class?

sustainablysourcedwhitefish · 13/10/2008 17:36

Erm, to quote ...developing breasts "does not mean that you will get fat. It means that you'll become a babe with a fantastic figure".

I'm not sure this is the message I want to pass on to my 8 yr old DD regarding puberty.

sadbarratthomeowner · 13/10/2008 17:39

Perhaps it depends whether your dd is beginning to 'develop' or not. If she has no signs of puberty, maybe you could leave it a year or so? But it doesn't look that unsuitable to me.... in fact, I may get it for dd1 aged 9!

DorisIsAPinkDragon · 13/10/2008 17:41

looks totally age appropriate to me.... many girls are having periods around this age and your dd may have said something which showed a lack of understanding in class? did the teacher explain why she was recomending it? was it to all parents or just your dd?

Don't think that a complaint is necessary just a few more questions as to why!

BTW not sure it's the best book but does seem age appropriate

soapbox · 13/10/2008 17:46

I haven't seen that one, but I got this book for DD (aged 10) what's happening to me? and the boys book for DS (8yo).

Both of them really had fun reading them - lots of giggling etc. and then they swapped them over to read the other sex book.

I'm not a great fan of not being straight with them about puberty and sex and this book was a good informative book on the basics.

combustiblelemon · 13/10/2008 17:50

It sounds age appropriate, just a bit wank.
"It means that you'll become a babe with a fantastic figure".

pofaced · 18/10/2008 15:52

Doris... "many girls around this age are having periods". They're not!

The age of menarch/first period has not changed since the early 1960s acc to doctor I hear on Woman's Hour a while ago. Some young girls (eg around 8) may have the signs of breast starting to grow but this is normally not breast tissue but fat as a direct result of poor diet (especially processed food). The best indicator of the age at first period is the mother's age at first perios ie if you were early starter, your daughter probably will be too

I have 3 DDs (8-11) and have always been straight about where babies come from etc and have bought books for the eldest and think this book looks pretty awful. I also think teachers should not recommend such books to 8 year olds. Providing a list of suggested books for parents to choose from and read a child of this age is fine, not recommending one to be picked up and read almost as a novel at such a young age

CatMandu · 18/10/2008 15:59

Looks great I have an 9 year old dd and will be buying it having seen this thread.

scarletlilybug · 18/10/2008 16:08

I don't think it's appropriate at all for a teacher to be recommending a book like this to an 8-year-old. But that's because I think it should be up to parents, not the government (via its education policy) to decide what type of sex education their children receive, and when. JMO.

Having said that, I would try to find out the circumstances in which this book was recommended before "making a complaint".

The book got a good review on Amazon - maybe it's absolutely fine. It would be the fact of the teacher recommending it, rather than the book itself, which would annoy me (IYKWIM).

cory · 22/10/2008 10:54

Not many girls of 8 are having periods- but many girls of 10 certainly are. And sex education is part of the curriculum in Yr 6. So you may feel Yr 4 is a bit too early or you may feel it's better to have the knowledge in time to digest it before you actually get there. I'd be happy for my 8yo ds to read information books about sex at school- though preferably not one that describes women as babes. I'd prefer less dumbing down. But then I haven't seen the book itself.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 22/10/2008 13:28

I know of several girls who have started their periods at nine. I would have no problem with my 8-yr-old being given this book, but if you are concerned why not have a word with the teacher and try to find out the circumstances in which it occurred.

MadreInglese · 22/10/2008 13:39

Perhaps your DD asked the teacher some questions and so she recommended this book?

I've flicked through it on Amazon and would probably be ok with my DD reading this, although it does sound a little like it was written by a Bratz doll

Usborne's book What's Happening to Me is very good IMO for introducing the basics of puberty. I got it for DD when she was about 8 (was showing signs of developing even that young!) and it helped her to understand it all a bit better. We read it together and talked about it and she has read bits on her own too.

MadreInglese · 22/10/2008 13:40

soapbox beat me to it

janinlondon · 22/10/2008 13:46

Menarche is occurring at younger ages in the US: "Average age at menarche in the United States declined by 2.3 months between 1988-1994 and 1999-2002" (J Pediatr. 2005 Dec;147(6):753-60). There has not been a similar study here, but in the UK in 2001 11.8% of girls had their first period before leaving primary school." (BMJ. 2001 May 5;322(7294):1095-6)

Trafficcone · 22/10/2008 13:50

I'd have no problem with my Dd reading a book about puberty age 8. As it is, she's a tiny little thing so we've only just broached the subject now she's nearly 10 as we knew she wasn't going to start developing any time soon, but she could have handled it age 8.
BUT I don't like that book AT ALL and would draw the teachers attention to that reveiew that someone posted a link to. Utterly inappropriate advice on image and so called 'attractiveness'... bloody ghastly.

Trafficcone · 22/10/2008 13:50

I'd have no problem with my Dd reading a book about puberty age 8. As it is, she's a tiny little thing so we've only just broached the subject now she's nearly 10 as we knew she wasn't going to start developing any time soon, but she could have handled it age 8.
BUT I don't like that book AT ALL and would draw the teachers attention to that reveiew that someone posted a link to. Utterly inappropriate advice on image and so called 'attractiveness'... bloody ghastly.

plantsitter · 22/10/2008 13:51

Suggest you read it first before complaining (from library obviously). If you still think it inappropriate, fine - but bear in mind that the teacher may think there are other girls in the class who simply won't get this information if she doesn't mention it. I know a few people whose periods started at 9.