At The Talk Toolbox, we’re all about age-appropriate sex education… that’s actually fun.
The stigma around sex education in this country is truly astounding.
Sex education still feels awkward, stilted, and generally lacking. Talk to any middle school or high schooler today, and they’ll tell you the same.
Sex ed hasn't really changed
since we were kids.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
As parents now ourselves, we want more for our kids. We recognize the need for age-appropriate sex education that helps our kids understand their bodies, their relationships, their identities. We also recognize that how we were taught only led to more questions, shame, and confusion. We won’t settle for that for our kids.
It’s time to change how sex education is taught
...and it starts at home.
Sex ed in the U.S. is (dangerous)ly lacking
As adults, we all have our own experiences (or lack thereof) with sex ed. Maybe you got the…
Good ol’ TV/VHS crash course combo
Mortifying yet vague “talk” with a parent at the kitchen table
Gym teacher yelling about the importance of protection
Unfortunately, sex ed hasn’t improved much in the United States…
Even decades later.
Did you know...
There is no standard for sex education at a federal (or even state) level.
Most sex ed is decided upon at a district level, leading to the gaps we see in sex education across the country.
According to the CDC, 96% of female and 97% of male teenagers receive “formal sex education” before age 18. However, that education only amounts to about 6 hours throughout all four years of high school.
The real Cherry on top?
Most education avoids sex in general, and most curriculum doesn’t teach children about their bodies. The four main “approaches” to sex ed in the U.S. fall into four categories:
Abstinence Only
“Sex is bad”
Abstinence Plus
“Sex is bad, take the pill”
Sexual Risk Avoidance
“Sex is gross, you can get STIs or have a baby”
Comprehensive Sex Education
Guess how many schools teach this? Less than 50%.
Despite those staggeringly sad statistics, 84% of parents support sex education in middle school, and 96% support it in high school.
But it’s clear that we’re not getting comprehensive sex education from our schools
so it’s time to take matters into our own hands
(Using science-based, research-backed resources, of course)
That’s why we created The Talk Toolbox and our monthly age-appropriate sex education subscriptions.
Browse Our Subscriptions
“The Talk” isn’t a one-time thing
It’s like a toddler eating an apple
Our founder, Keely, once heard an episode of NPR’s Life Kit: Parenting podcast. The guest expert was a child psychologist who talked about how to discuss death with children (light stuff, right?). She highlighted how these conversations tend to happen like a child eats an apple: not all at once.
They pick it up, they take a bite…
They put the apple down and walk away.
They remember they have an apple, and they come back to take another bite…
And so it goes, until the apple is gone.
Your child’s sex education is not linear — nor can it be “done” in a day.
It’s a conversation that evolves day by day, week by week, month by month. That’s why we created our monthly sex education subscription box, to help cater to the realities of these conversations.
Plus, parents… let’s be real. Half the time, your kid will ask you something that you don’t even know. That’s why these monthly resources are so necessary. We’re educating parents and kids!
The Talk Toolbox helps you keep the conversation flowing
Each month, our Talkers get:
An age-appropriate book that helps introduce that month’s topic
A puzzle, game, or other learning activity you can do as a family!
Stickers or toys related to the topic of the month
… and more!
Choose from age-appropriate sex ed subscriptions
Want to start the conversation now — so you and your child can have conversations later?
Join The Talk Toolbox Today!
We offer four boxes based on age group. These groupings are decided upon with our resident sex education expert, to ensure that the resources are developmentally appropriate!
We’ll cover the basics, like body parts, where babies come from, and more.
Get on the Waitlist!
Bodies are “growing and changing,” and so are friendships and relationships!
Get on the Waitlist!
New hormones and new identities! Start conversations to help your child navigate their experiences.
Get on the Waitlist!
Sex is prevalent. They need resources and open dialogue to make informed choices.
Get on the Waitlist!
Team Talk Talkbook:
Who’s creating these boxes?
Keely Wolter
Founder
Keely Wolter was trained as an actor and dialect coach and has worked in the arts for 25 years. Many of those years she spent as a teaching artist in various art schools and educational theater programs.
She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, two kids, and two dogs. She also wrote a children's book with her son called 10 Giant Jellybeans, which is very cute and can be purchased on Amazon.
Keely Wolter was trained as an actor and dialect coach and has worked in the arts for 25 years. Many of
those years she spent as a teaching artist in various art schools and educational theater programs.
She lives in Minneapolis with her partner, two kids, and two dogs. She also wrote a children's book with her son called 10 Giant Jellybeans, which is very cute and can be purchased on Amazon.
Kristen
Sex Educator
Kristen is a professor and certified sex educator with almost 20 years of experience. She is a behavioral health scientist with an academic background in psychology and public health and a research interest in sexuality and romantic relationships.
She holds the Joycelyn Elders Endowed Chair in Sexual Health Education and is a tenured full professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She is also the Director of Education in the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, housed within the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
Learn more about Kristen here!
Kristen is a professor
and certified sex educator with
almost 20 years
of experience.
She is a behavioral health scientist with an academic background in psychology and public health and a research interest in sexuality and romantic relationships.
She holds the Joycelyn Elders Endowed Chair in Sexual Health Education and is a tenured full professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She is also the Director of Education in the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health, housed within the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
Learn more about Kristen here!
Trust in The Talk Toolbox
Here at The Talk Toolbox, we trust in science. We believe that even the most “stigmatized” and emotional conversations about sex, reproduction, identity, bodies, and relationships can be supported with non-biased, researched information.
All books, games, activities, and resources included in our boxes are vetted by our expert sex educator. We seek out resources that are not funded by political or religious institutions that support abstinence or “sexual risk prevention” curriculum.
Basically, we’re taking the B.S. out of sex ed. No more whispered terms for genitals, no more “We’ll talk about that when you’re older.” It’s time to be straight with our kids, in a science-based, developmentally appropriate way. That’s what our subscriptions do.
Need help having “The Talk” right now?
Sometimes, kids say (and ask) the darndest things. If you find yourself staring at your kid like a deer in headlights because they just asked something you’re not sure how to answer… We can help.
Drop your name and email address and we’ll send you to our Emergency Guide on How to Have “The Talk” right now.
