Books: things to discuss with/tell children/teens as they're growing up

[chinnychinchilla]

Does a book exist that talks about the different things you should address with your children? I don't just mean things like changing bodies and bullying but also consent, men and women, differences, just basically any important things and how best to approach it?

Aren't these arguments just part of daily discussions and social life, be it school, sport, friendship?
We have print newspaper in the house every day and since the age my kids were able to read, I would ask them to read me an article aloud whilst I was cooking and this often lead to discussion and opinion.

Most of the topics you listed will be in article soon or later because they are part of the news.
I am not sure how old your kids are but you mention "teens" and you know, reading a newspaper with them is also a way to say connected and giving them an habit about talking to you about everything . No topic is taboo. Great for vocabulary and arguments for school too.

Maybe it is something you could try. Come back home with a print newspaper one day.

That’s what literature does, chinnychinchilla.

Read with them. Fairy tales, novels, poetry, myths, folk tales, memoirs, plays … Buy physical books (because Lord knows, there are precious few inviting libraries left) and read to them. And have them read aloud with you, every day. Don’t feel you have to stick to books aimed at any particular age group, or only read 20th /21st century fiction. 18th and 19th century novels are replete with complex emotional / domestic / political situations. As is Shakespeare. (And literature from across the world, of course.) Don’t do it for purposes of instruction, just for joy. They’ll absorb everything they’ll need for life.

A by-product of wide reading is that children discover the rights and obligations of contemporary society through their historical context.

And of course, newspapers.

( MatchaTea, we have the same tradition in our family, going back several generations. My parents have always spoken of reading the papers aloud to their parents and grandparents, long ago and very far away.)

Also - radio. Radio 4 if you’re in England. There was a thread recently where someone wanted to know how other people managed to have so much general knowledge of history, politics, culture, food … Pretty much every reply cited Radio 4, on all day, from childhood.

Having said all that, if you have teens you may find ‘Get Out of My Life, But First, Take Me and Alex Into Town’ quite helpful - for you.