Hello!

My name is Carole Marsh and I am a big fan of sex education! I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I had lots of questions that I either had no one to ask, or didn’t want to ask anyone. That sure left me in the dark!

Most adults are not eager to have “the talk” with their kids, and who can blame them? But, really, sex is just another subject—a fascinating subject, actually! And, I promise, the younger you start, the easier it is to talk to your kids about sex. Why is that? Because at a young age, almost anything you tell them they will respond with, “Yuck—who would want to do that—not me!” Music to your ears, hey?!

Once upon a time, we might could ignore or avoid the sex ed “talk.” But today, we just can’t. An early and ongoing “dialogue” (rather than an uncomfortable one-time talk) is essential.

You know why: Kids are far more bombarded with sexual images and words than ever before. Many children (even “good” kids) become sexually active at a far younger age than we even like to think possible! The Internet has brought predators right into your home. But my Smart Sex Stuff for Kids series is not about the negative, or the scary, or the in-your-face-cool response to all these issues.

Actually, my books are a combination of old-fashioned (yes, let’s do talk about morals, values, and responsibilities), the newfangled (there is always something new under the sexual sun to learn that is interesting and helpful), and most-importantly: kid-oriented. Let’s face it—we’re all kids when we have questions and don’t know the answers.

As of the time I developed this website, teen pregnancy rates were back on the rise, sexually transmitted diseases were affecting kids as young as age 14, and abstinence-only sex education was leaving many kids vulnerable so that even if they made a “mistake,” they were penalized for not knowing how to avoid consequences such as pregnancy or disease.

These ARE your kids. This is the TIME. These books are the TOOLs you need! I have no hidden agenda. In my 30 years of writing for children, I have always put kids first. But right now I want to say one last thing to you:

This can be FUN! I’m serious. “My kid wanted to know what a contraceptive sponge was used for!” one mortified parent said. “I stammered and sputtered and blushed, only to have my child blurt out: ‘I just want to know if you wash dishes with it?’”

So be not afraid. But don’t let your poor kid think STD is a motor oil, or believe that they can’t get pregnant if they keep their clothes on (“But my friend said so!”). Help young kids learn the real names for body parts. Learn with them about the silly sex stuff that goes on in the animal and insect kingdom (those twin corkscrew-penised Japanese crabs are a real hoot!)

Each child has a lifetime of sexuality ahead of them, so help them get off to a good, wise, informed, responsible start. Sex education is like a vaccine and if you’re diligent and lucky, it will “take.” And that child will forever be grateful for your efforts, even if all you do is get them a good book and let them read it for themselves!

Just don’t wait until they’re 17, please. Start soon, stay the course, learn a lot, have fun, and reap all the benefits of assuming this essential responsibility to teach your child the “facts of life” and more. You’ll never, ever be sorry.

Carole Marsh
Biography of Carole Marsh