A few years ago, I attended a Power of Moms retreat in the Rocky Mountains. While driving home in a car full of mamas, the conversation inevitably turned to porn and parenting.

Of course it did! I can’t keep my mouth shut about this stuff. It’s my gift to the world.

As usual some moms squirmed, but others had a real desire to talk to their kids about the dangers of pornography. One thing was clear though. The idea itself seemed as intimidating as the mammoth cliffs we were driving through.

One mom admitted, “I want to talk to my kids about pornography—I just don’t know how. I wish I had cue cards telling me what to say!”

Wish granted! The cue cards are here!

A MUST-HAVE MANUAL

I just finished reading How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography, recently launched by Educate and Empower Kids, and I am telling you: Every smart, savvy parent will want this sleek little handbook on their shelf!

You can order your copy on Amazon here, or catch the Kindle version ON SALE for only $1.99 this weekend, May 27-30!

EASY READ

Now, when I say “sleek” and “little,” I mean it! When my copy arrived, my first thought was, “I could totally toss this in my purse.” But I was amazed at how jam-packed such a small book could be.

Personally, I read the whole thing cover-to-cover in one afternoon—broken up between the bus stop, dinner, and getting the kids to bed of course.

Afraid you won’t have time to crack a book and read it all the way through? Not a problem. In fact Educate and Empower Kids encourages parents to scan through, jump around to different sections, and pick topics that feel most relevant.

THE REAL DEAL

This is not just a cute little idea book—it pulls together cutting-edge research on brain science and addiction; up-to-date statistics on trafficking and its ties to the porn industry; and quotes and studies from top experts in the field.

If that sounds like a bit much … no fear! How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography breaks everything down into brief segments that any parent can handle. No long chapters—just quick concise sections, each about 2 pages long.

THIS IS NOT A LECTURE

One of the things I love most about this book is how it teaches parents and kids to be a TEAM!  No shaming or finger-pointing tactics. No ‘police vs. offender’ stuff.

Instead, parents are urged to “Walk beside your child” (35, emphasis added). The goal is to create a safe place where kids can talk about anything and everything—a skill that will go way beyond isolated discussions about porn!

Best of all, How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography emphasizes the philosophy that most effective filter a child can have is an internal filter. Teaching “Self Monitoring” (Section 21) is the key!

QUICK REFERENCE

When I was a kid, if I asked Mom how to spell a word, her response was always, “Look it up in the dictionary!” This handbook takes that concept to the next level.

Now if my kids ask me, “What is pornography?” all I have to do is grab my little handbook and flip to Section 6: “Defining Pornography,” and voila! Concise definition and Discussion Questions all ready to go!

All 26 sections are like that: clearly marked, visually appealing, organized, and easy to reference.

Brightly colored headings and cool (appropriate) pictures subdivide each subject into even smaller, scannable bits, making everything easy to find.

WHAT’S ON THE MENU?

Got a question? The answer is probably on the Table of Contents. This one page breaks down the ’scary monster’ of talking to kids into 26 bite-size pieces.

From “Where do I start?” (Section 7) to “Determining if your child has a habit or an addiction” (Section 13) and everything in between … Twenty-six answers, complete with page numbers, all in a pretty row. It makes my little mama heart want to burst with excitement!

I know, I know. Nerd alert.

SO PRACTICAL!

I admit I often shrink at the suggestion to write in my books. (Must be all those years in school!) But How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography encourages it: “Write your end goal and your plan somewhere that you can revisit during this process.” (16)

This mini-manual is chock full of hands-on tools to help you achieve your family goals:

Section 17, “Taking inventory and Creating a Family Guideline” actually includes a worksheet to fill in.

Not to mention the “R-U-N Plan for Kids,” a fabulous tool that I will be teaching my kids and posting by my computer asap! So easy to remember!

And have I mentioned the ready-made Discussion Questions? Yes! In every section.

TOO TABOO?

As with all materials from Educate and Empower Kids, sensitive topics like healthy sexuality and pornography addiction are treated in a respectful, age-appropriate manner. How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography is geared toward ages 8 to 18.

Afraid your kids are too young for this stuff? There are resources for them, too. Educate and Empower Kids also offers info for younger children on their website, here.

And as always, I highly recommend Good Pictures, Bad Pictures by Kristen Jenson and Gail Poyner—one of my favorites!

ADDITIONAL TITLES

Hungry for more? Other great books by Educate and Empower Kids include: 30 Days of Sex Talks, Empowering Your Child with Knowledge of Sexual Intimacy, and 30 Days to a Stronger Child.

And if you are as psyched as I am about this org, you can also follow them on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/educateempowerkids

Twitter: @EduEmpowerKids

Pinterest: pinterest.com/educateempower/

Instagram: Eduempowerkids