Book Review
A short overview of this book
My Early Warning Signs: Exploring Early Warning Signs and what to do if a child experiences these signs by Jayneen Sanders (Little Big Chats) is a lovely book for talking to young children about recognising early warning signals. Adults and children alike all experience these signs when they feel unsafe, worried, scared and/or excited. Helping children to understand our body’s natural reaction to feeling unsafe and alerting them to know exactly what to do is empowering.
This book belongs to the Little BIG Chats series, which consists of 12 books that have been written to help parents to start talking about important topics. There’s a discussion guide at the back, with some pages of the book including helpful questions to ask your child as you read.
I really like this approach of a topic a book, and they would be a fantastic collection of books to have. It would be very easy to read a different one of these each night with your children.
There are 12 books in the Little BIG Chats series:
- Empathy: Exploring the meaning of empathy and kindness
- I Always Try: Developing a growth mindset of resilience and persistence
- Feelings: Understanding different feelings and emotions
- Everyone is Equal: Introducing the importance of gender equality and diversity
- Around the World: Celebrating the importance of racial equality and diversity
- Mindfulness: Exploring the importance of mindfulness and learning calming skills
- Families: Celebrating diversity in families
- Consent: Introducing consent and body boundaries
- My Safety Network: Introducing a Safety Network (3 to 5 trusted adults a child can go to if they feel unsafe)
- My Early Warning Signs: Exploring Early Warning Signs and what to do if a child experiences these signs
- Private Parts are Private: Learning private parts are private and what to do if touched inappropriately
- Secrets and Surprises: Learning the difference between secrets and surprises
The Body Safety titles should ideally be read in the following order: Consent, My Safety Network, My Early Warning Signs, Private Parts are Private, and Secrets and Surprises. The remaining titles can be read in any order.
You can learn more on this page, about how to talk to kids about sex education.
Ideal Age
Ideal for children aged 2 to 6 years.
Buy this book
✅ Buy a copy of My Early Warning Signs by Jayneen Sanders (Little Big Chats) from Amazon.
Video Transcription
A transcription in case you are more of a reader than a listener
Hey there! Welcome to Sex Ed Rescue with Cath Hakanson. I’m here to help parents find an easier way to talk to their kids about love, sex, relationships, and growing up. Today, I want to review a fantastic book called the Little Big Chat Series. It’s a collection of 12 little books that tackle big topics. The one we’re focusing on today is called My Early Warning Signs by Jay Sanders.
Before we dive in, let me give you a quick rundown on how to make the most of this book. It’s always helpful to know how to use it effectively, right? Now, excuse me if I scratch my nose during this video. I’ve got a lot to cover today!
So, the book starts off by explaining that our bodies are pretty smart. They have a way of letting us know when we’re feeling unsafe. Think about a dog running at a gate – they can sense danger, right? Well, we have our own early warning signs too. The book goes on to explain that there are many different kinds of these signs, and you might experience one, two, three, or even more of them. It even shows you where you might feel these signs on a handy picture.
Now, here’s the important part. If you ever feel any of these signs, it’s crucial to tell a trusted adult in your safety network. And guess what? There’s another book in the series that talks all about creating that safety network. These books are great because they all connect with each other and cover different aspects of important topics.
Sometimes, you might experience these early warning signs simply because you’re excited. That’s totally normal! But if you feel them when you’re feeling unsafe, scared, or worried, it’s essential to reach out to a trusted adult in your safety network. Remember, your body is smart and knows when something isn’t right.
At the end of the book, there are discussion questions to help you extend the conversation and dive deeper into what you’ve learned. Isn’t that awesome?
I absolutely love these books! The fact that each book focuses on one specific topic is genius. You can read a different book every night and work your way through the series. Plus, you can use them in the afternoon for fun craft activities and coloring. There are so many opportunities to start meaningful conversations with your kids using these books.
So, go ahead and grab a copy of My Early Warning Signs and explore the Little Big Chat Series. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Happy reading and happy chatting!
