Talking to Kids About Body Awareness, Puberty & Sex :: Megan Michelson & Mary Flo Ridley *top 10 episode* [Ep 570]
Don't Mom Alone Podcast
Don't Mom Alone Podcast
4.9 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 27 April 2026
⏱️ 55 minutes
🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Talking to kids about sex can feel overwhelming—but avoiding the conversation doesn’t make it easier. In this replay episode, Megan Michelson and Mary Flo Ridley break down how to approach these important topics in a way that feels natural, age-appropriate, and shame-free.
Instead of relying on a single, awkward “talk,” they encourage parents to build an ongoing dialogue that evolves as kids grow. From early childhood curiosity to teenage years and deeper conversations about puberty and masturbation, this episode offers practical tools to help you stay calm, confident, and connected.
We cover how to introduce basic biology (like seeds, eggs, and conception), how to respond when your child isn’t interested in the conversation, and why tone matters more than perfection. You’ll also learn how to navigate common parenting moments—like little ones exploring their bodies—without shame, while still setting healthy boundaries.
As kids get older, the conversation shifts. Megan and Mary Flo share how to approach puberty, why “shoulder-to-shoulder” conversations can be more effective than face-to-face talks, and how to handle more complex topics like masturbation in a way that balances honesty, guidance, and emotional awareness.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about when to start, what to say, or how to say it—this episode will give you a clear, grounded approach.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why “the talk” doesn’t work—and what to do instead
- How to start conversations about bodies and sex at a young age
- Age-appropriate language for explaining reproduction and biology
- What to do when your child avoids or shuts down the conversation
Why tone and delivery matter more than saying everything perfectly
- Website: Birds and Bees
- Instagram: Birds and Bees | Online Course | Megan Michelson (@birds__bees)
- God's Design for Sex Series: By Stan &Brenna Jones
- Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys By David Thomas
- Gender and Sexuality :: Preston Sprinkle [Ep 370]
- Let’s Talk about Sex :: Mary Flo Ridley and Megan Michelson [Ep 328]
- Sexual Identity and Radical Ordinary Hospitality :: Dr. Rosaria Butterfield [Ep 301]
Featured Sponsors:Â
- Thrive Causemetics: Amplify your spring look with Thrive Causemetics. Go to thrivecausemetics.com/DMA for an exclusive offer of 20% off your first order.Â
- Cozy Earth: This spring, give yourself the kind of comfort that lives with you all day — not just the moment you get home. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code DMA for an exclusive 20% off.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey, y'all, welcome back to the Don't Mom Alone podcast. |
| 0:10.3 | I'm your host, Heather McFaddean, and this is the place where I get to walk alongside you |
| 0:14.1 | and connect you with people and resources so you know that you don't mom alone. |
| 0:18.9 | In this episode, number 570, it's another one of our top 10 episodes. |
| 0:23.4 | This time, it's number four with Megan Michelson and Mary Flo Ridley. It originally aired in April of 2019. |
| 0:32.3 | I think the devil is in the darkness. And I think with all things sex, he has such a stronghold |
| 0:37.2 | in this category, all of this category. And I think with all things sex, he has such a stronghold in this category, |
| 0:38.7 | all of this category. And I think as parents and as believers specifically, if we can just turn the lights on, it just loses so much of its power. And I think just by addressing it, hey, this is so hard. I understand that. And this is so normal. And you're going to mess up sometimes. And that's fine, but we just want you to know, this is the big picture here. This is what God's design for sexes. |
| 0:57.8 | These are your natural |
| 0:58.6 | sinful tendencies because we are broken people and but this is how God designed your body to |
| 1:02.8 | handle that okay and here is our family and this is what we are going to do to get through this |
| 1:07.2 | together decades ago I was in Mops and I heard Mary Flo Ridley come and speak and help us know how to |
| 1:16.4 | handle curious questions of little toddlers, preschoolers regarding how did that baby get in there? |
| 1:24.0 | How's the baby going to get out? |
| 1:25.8 | And all the things that we might be terrified thinking it's a bigger conversation than it needs to be. |
| 1:31.0 | And you definitely should go check out the archives if you've never listened to any of my conversations with Mary Flo. |
| 1:36.8 | Mary Flo started a ministry called Birds and Bees where she helps equip parents to have ongoing conversations with their kids |
| 1:45.8 | about sex instead of a one-time talk and to answer their questions as they ask them, to be prepared |
| 1:51.4 | with great responses, to acknowledge their curiosity without fear, and to just really give you |
| 1:59.0 | some phrases and some language unique to your own family. |
| 2:02.7 | In this conversation, she's joined by her now business partner, Megan Michelson, |
| 2:08.7 | who has younger kids than Mary Flo and who has joined her in speaking and creating great content on Instagram. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Don't Mom Alone Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Don't Mom Alone Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.