Books That Help Kids Develop Healthy Personal Boundaries
I was sexually abused as a child.
I can remember spending the night at my best friends house when I was four years old. When I woke, I was being dragged across the living room floor in a sleeping bag by her older brother.
I suffered his abuse until my family moved away five years later.
Statistics say the average age for a child to be sexually abused is the age of four. I was molested starting at the age of four. My daughter will be four next month.
These books that help kids develop healthy boundaries have become my lifeline.
Books That Help Kids Develop Healthy Personal Boundaries
While in graduate school studying psychology I learned that one of the primary reasons young girls and boys fall victim to sexual abuse is because they don’t know any better, and they don’t know how to communicate what’s going on with the trusted adults in their lives.
I want to make sure that my daughter knows better than I did.
Reading these books to her helps me teach her what’s okay and what isn’t when it comes to her personal boundaries. I sleep better at night knowing that these books may make the difference.
Maybe they will for you too.
Look for these books that help kids develop personal boundaries at your local library or used bookstore. If you can not find them I have provided affiliate links for you convenience. Thank you for choosing to support this blog!
Books That Help Kids Develop Healthy Personal Boundaries: Books for Kids
No Means No!
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‘No Means No!’ is a children’s picture book about an empowered little girl who has a very strong and clear voice in all issues, especially those relating to her body and personal boundaries. This book can be read to children from 3 to 9 years. It is a springboard for discussions regarding children’s choices and their rights.
Your Body Belongs to You
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This book is positive and assertive without being frightening. It lets young children know that it’s all right for them to choose when, and by whom, they are to be touched.
I Said No!
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Helping kids set healthy boundaries for their private parts can be a daunting and awkward task for parents, counselors, and educators. Written from a kid’s point of view, I Said No! makes this task a lot easier.
No Trespassing – This is My Body!
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Siblings Katie and her little brother Kyle learn about personal safety, private parts, and “thumbs up & thumbs down” touches by talking with their mom in a loving and easy-to-understand manner. With an empowering dialog that is never fearful, parents can use this book to begin this important discussion with their children.
An Exceptional Child’s Guide to Touch
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The rules of physical contact can be tricky to grasp and children with special needs are at a heightened risk of abuse. This friendly picture book explains in simple terms how to tell the difference between acceptable and inappropriate touch, thereby helping the child with special needs stay safe.
Those are My Private Parts
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Those Are My Private Parts clearly conveys the message to children that no one has a right to his/her body. It is exactly what parents and other adults that are concerned about children’s well-being should be sharing with their kids. The wonderful pictures, riming text and the important message that NO ONE touches your private parts.
Amazing You! Getting Smart About Your Private Parts
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This title tackles basic body awareness and sex education. The text speaks directly to young children, differentiating between body parts that are visible most of the time and those that are kept hidden, showing the differences between girls and boys and offering a simple explanation of how babies are made without explicit reference to sex.
It’s My Body
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This is a powerful book for enhancing self-esteem. Children can learn safe boundaries, how to distinguish between “good” and “bad” touches, and how to respond appropriately to unwanted touches.
The Right Touch
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The Right Touch reaches beyond the usual scope of a children’s picture book. It is a parenting book that introduces a very difficult topic–the sexual abuse of young children. This gentle, thoughtful story can be read aloud to a child by any trusted caregiver.
Some Parts are NOT for Sharing
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Children can learn what the boundaries of appropriate touching are in a very non-threatening way by reading this book.
Good Touch Bad Touch
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Miles is the Boss of His Body
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Miles Is The Boss Of His Body is a fun, engaging way to explore the potentially difficult topic of kids’ personal safety. On his 6th birthday, Miles’ excitement is dimmed when he finds himself being pinched, noogied, hugged too tight, picked up and tickled by his well-intentioned family and decides he’s had enough! When Miles decrees that he is the “Boss of his body,” his whole family expresses support and respect for his personal boundaries.
My Body Belongs to Me
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Without being taught about body boundaries, a child may be too young to understand when abuse is happening—or that it’s wrong. This straightforward, gentle book offers a tool parents, teachers, and counselors can use to help children feel, be, and stay safe
Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept
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This book is an invaluable tool for parents, caregivers, teachers and healthcare professionals to broach the subject of safe and unsafe touch in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way.
Books That Help Kids Develop Healthy Personal Boundaries: Resources for Parents and Caregivers
Body Safety Education: A Parents Guid to Protecting Kids from Sexual Abuse
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A step-by-step guide for parents and carers on how to protect children from sexual abuse through personal Body Safety Education. This guide contains simple, practical and age-appropriate ideas, as well as important information on how abusers groom and signs a child maybe being sexually abused.
As parents, teachers, counselors, and caregivers, we need to help our children develop healthy personal body boundaries. These books for preschoolers and up will help children understand and identify good touch verses bad touch.
Learning how to say no to unwanted advances from both friends and strangers is important to a child’s social-emotional health and development, and may save them from molestation and sexual abuse.
You may also like Books That Teach Kids Important Life Lessons and the other book lists below. Click on the links to see them.
- Books That Help Kids Understand Their Feelings
- Books That Help Kids Manage Anger
- 10 Books Every Parent of Young Children Should Read
- Green Crafty & Creative Book
- YUM! Deliciously Healthy Recipes for Kids Book
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I’d like to also suggest a great book for kids ages 3-10. It’s a fantastic resource that takes many of the lessons in the books you recommend and turns them into practices for kids and their adults to do together.
Hello Antonie,
If you would like me to consider a book to add to this list, you can send it to the address listed on our “Terms of Service” page. Thanks!