One reason many parents decide to home school is to get their kids away from an environment that promotes unchristian attitudes toward morality, especially sexual morality. But that doesn’t mean kids don’t need sex education, simply that they need the right kind. The God’s Design for Sex series balances biological information with a healthy understanding of the biblical view of sexuality and sexual relationships.

How Do These Work?

There are five books in the series—four for kids and one for parents. It’s a good idea to read the parent text first in order to be prepared to field questions your kids may have that their books don’t cover. It’s also important to preview the kids’ volumes yourself before letting them read them; the authors encourage parents and kids to read them together, and stop for discussion as necessary.

The first book is for ages 3-5, and the second for ages 5-8. Both are similar in approach and content giving a basic overview of how babies are made, their life in the womb, and birth itself. (Both are also beautifully illustrated in color.) Key information is given so kids get the basic idea without going into too much depth. Book three is for ages 8-11 and focuses on puberty and sexual purity; this one has only a handful of black and white illustrations that have nothing to do with sex per sé, and the content is pretty tame.

Facing the Facts is the final volume directed at kids directly, and is aimed at ages 11-14 (or so the cover claims). Puberty is again discussed, as well as the sex act itself, in graphic detail. It’s not gratuitous, but be aware that this is very straightforward and includes detailed pictures of male and female genitalia with accompanying descriptions of their functions. Some kids in this age group may be mature enough for the content of this volume, but we strongly suggest parents preview it first.

The last book is for parents, and deals primarily with instilling proper Christian attitudes toward sex and sexual morality. Possible answers to tough questions are provided, and they are easily tailored to your own kids’ and their situation. The text is relaxed and straightforward, and many parents may prefer to simply read How & When to Tell Your Kids About Sex on their own and have discussions with their kids, foregoing the rest of the books in the series altogether.

Our Honest Opinion:

Of course it’s important to talk to your kids about sex, especially in our culture, but how much you want to tell them (especially when they’re still quite young) is entirely up to you. The authors of God’s Design for Sex seem to think you should tell them quite a bit pretty early on, always with references to biblical moral standards, but quite graphic nonetheless. While this is a good series and will certainly educate your kids, we prefer Learning About Sex for the Christian Family for its discreet and more gradual approach.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.Read more of his reviews here.