A provocative inquiry into how exactly we teach our kids about bodies, sex, romantic relationships and equality–with revelatory, practical takeaways from the author’s study and eye-opening observations from your world-famous Dutch approach

Award-winning author Bonnie J. Tough never expected to write a publication about sex, but lifestyle handed her a revelation too vital to ignore. As an American mother or father grappling with worries about raising children in a culture steeped in stereotypes and sexual shame, she couldn’t about Beyond Birds and Bees: Bringing House a New Message to your Kids About Sex, Love, and Equality quite picture how exactly to teach the facts of life with a fearless, easygoing, good attitude. Then a work change relocated her family to Amsterdam, where she shortly witnessed the calm and egalitarian sexual attitudes of the Dutch. There, she uncovered, children study from babyhood that physiques are regular, the world’s best sex ed begins in kindergarten, cooties certainly are a foreign concept, puberty can be no big shock, and queries about sex are welcome at the dinner table.

In Beyond Parrots and Bees, Tough uncovers how although normalizing individual sexuality may sound risky, doing so actually helps prevent unintended consequences, prospects to better health and achievement for our children, and lays the foundation for a future of gender equality. Exploring how the Dutch example means American life, Rough highlights an evergrowing influx of ambitious American parents, teachers, and influencers poised to transform sex ed–and our society–for the better, and shows how families everywhere can give today’s lift towards the wild birds and bees.

Down to globe and up to the minute with our deep new cultural conversations about gender, sex, power, autonomy, diversity, and consent, Rough’s careful research and participating storytelling illuminate a forward path for any groundbreaking generation of Americans who would like clear good examples and actionable guidelines for how to support children’s intimate development–and overall wellbeing–from birth onward in the home, in schools, and across our growing culture.