Jessica Biel Tells Her Sons the 'Truth' About Periods: 'I'm Not Hiding It From Them'
15/03/2024 19:35
"I try to do it in a way that is giving them truthful, in a real, biological, anatomically correct information," said the 'A Kids Book About Periods' author, who shares sons Silas, 8, and Phineas, 3, with husband Justin Timberland.
Jessica Bielis opening up about how she talks to her children about reproductive health.
During a Q&A on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, the actress -- who is promoting her upcoming book, A Kids Book About Periods -- shared that she has honest conversations with her sons Silas, 8, and Phineas, 3 about periods, including how she's "feeling" during her cycle.
She shares both boys with husband Justin Timberlake.
In a video, Biel, 42, responded to user, who wrote, "How do you talk to your sons about periods?"
The Candy star first applauded the fan for their "really great question," before admitting that it's something she's still "finding [her] way through."
"Well, I don't have all the answers, but my way is, I just tell them the truth about what's going on with me, and how I'm feeling, and what's happening for me," she explained. "I try to do it in a way that is giving them truthful, in a real, biological, anatomically correct information. You know? But also something that isn't going to feel too overwhelming for them."
Biel shared that she's "taking it slow, but I'm telling them the truth."
"I'm not hiding it from them," she continued, "and I'm telling them the real words, and you know, giving them the real definitions of these terms and phrases, in and around reproductive health that can feel scary, and can feel comfortable to use, and I'm just telling it like it is."
Meanwhile, in another video, the 7th Heaven alum shared what inspired her to write, A Kids Book About Periods.
"I wrote this book because I had questions when I was 30-something and thinking about wanting to start a family," she said, responding to a user's question. "I didn't know all the things going on with my cycle, and I thought that was really crazy because I should know these things. I should know them in and out by the time I'm in my 30s."
She added that she asked her friends about the topic and they "didn't know" either.
Biel said after she became a parent she wondered how she would talk to her kids about "all these interesting issues that are going to come up as they change and evolve."
"So really it started off as kind of a selfish thing, trying to find the tools that I needed for information about my body, and then also to be able to speak to my own kids and then hopefully, it translates for other people's families and for other people's kids," she concluded.
A Kids Book About Periods -- which is available on May 7 -- is a collaboration between Biel and PERIOD, "a global youth-powered nonprofit organization which strives to eradicate period poverty and stigma through advocacy, education, and service."
