Our goal is that children everywhere will have the knowledge to make
wise choices in the care of their bodies.
This guiding philosophy has motivated Dr. Metten to not only create this series of books, but also to create tips for parents to support them in guiding their children.
Below Dr. Metten shares tips to help parents as they read I’m a Boy, Hormones with their son.
Give him the space he wants.
This book is written for boys who have experienced some of the signs of later puberty including spontaneous erections and wet dreams. They would probably prefer to read the book on their own, but alone or with a parent is fine.
Review the Dr. M Says boxes before you give the book to your son.
Take time to read through the book before you read it with your son. You will notice the Dr. M Says boxes that have been placed at specific points throughout the book. These mark the completion of a new concept.
If your son understands the statement in the box, you can feel confident he has learned the key concept from that section. If your son is uncertain, review the section with the anatomy figures together.
Here are the statements in the Dr. M Says boxes:
- Testosterone tells sebaceous glands to start working during puberty. If a sebaceous gland duct gets blocked, a pimple can form. Testosterone also tells apocrine glands to start working. Bacteria take in the fluid from the apocrine gland and produce your body odor.
- Testosterone tells your larynx and vocal cords to grow and your voice becomes deeper.
- Growth hormone tells growth plates in your bones to make more bone so the bones grow. Testosterone also tells the muscles to grow.
- Sperm are made in the seminiferous tubules in the testicles. The brain tells interstitial cells in the testicles to make testosterone.
- Sperm are made in the seminiferous tubules in the testicles, learn to swim in the epididymis and course inside the vas deferens into the pelvic cavity. They receive nutrient fluid from the seminal vesicles and prostate gland and mix together to form semen. Semen flows down the urethra in the center of the penis.
- During ejaculation, the brain tells blood to fill in the spongy spaces inside the penis, resulting in an erection. The brain also tells the vas deferens, seminal vesicles and prostate gland to squeeze semen into the urethra and out the urethral opening of the penis.
Email Dr. M with your questions!
Your son might have questions that come up while reading the book and you want to make sure your answer is correct. Dr. Metten will be happy to help you. You can email her at DrM@anatomyforkids.com.
Check out the additional resources for greater understanding.
Interactive Questions & Exercises on the Parent Resource Tab under I’m a Boy, Hormones!
There are additional activities on our website that can be done either together or alone to deepen your son’s understanding of the key concepts in the book.
After you have finished reading the book, there are Interactive Questions & Exercises in the Parent Resource section. You and your son can enjoy them together or separately to confirm that you have understood the key concepts in the book.
I’m a Boy, Hormones! will be available on Amazon June 2016!