Kelly Olson is a highly-acclaimed puberty book author and former sex ed teacher, with a passion for helping youth navigate coming-of-age challenges. Her critically-endorsed book, “Chill Out & Stop Making This Weird: A Girl’s Survival Guide Extraordinaire,” follows the journey of a young girl going through the ups and downs of puberty – including starting menstruation, developing her first crush and more. It’s rich in humor, heart, relatable characters and science-based information, and is informed by Kelly’s 20 year career teaching reproductive health to elementary school youth.

In this episode, Kelly dives into the inspiration behind the book, the message she hopes to convey to young girls about their changing bodies, the importance of empowering youth with timely and accurate puberty information, and what she took away from two decades as a reproductive health teacher. She also talks about her passion for Days for Girls - and why she decided to donate a portion of all her proceeds to our mission! 

“The future is a place that we create. And I want the future story to be written - rewritten for young women” – Kelly Olson

Highlights:

• What inspired Kelly to write "Chill Out And Stop Making This Weird: A Girl's Survival Guide Extraordinaire,” and how to book was informed by her 20 year tenure as an elementary school teacher 
• The importance of providing accurate, timely, age-appropriate information for pubescent youth – and how using fictional narrative, with a healthy dose of humor, lends itself well to tough/deep/potentially “awkward” conversations 
• Who can benefit from reading this book (hint: it’s not only preteens and moms! Kelly has also gotten great feedback from dads, grandparents and everyone in between)
• What Kelly learned as a sex ed teacher, how she overcame stigma to facilitate a classroom culture of openness, and how those experiences shaped her book
• Plot points, themes and character development in Chill Out (spoiler warning!) and what her plans are for future writing projects
• Kelly’s personal “puberty story” 
• Why she donates a portion of all her proceeds to Days for Girls – and why she’s so passionate about partnering with us

Connect:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://kellyolsonbooks.com/

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @KellyOlsonBooks

Bio:

Kelly Olson’s book, Chill Out & Stop Making This Weird: A Girl’s Survival Guide Extraordinaire, shot to #1 on Amazon’s “Children’s Health and Maturing” books in its first week and has caught the attention of Books Editor for O Magazine, Oprah’s Magazine, and the coordinator of Oprah’s Book Club. It has received star reviews from RHOBH, mom and actress Kyle Richards, and numerous moms and dads alike. 

Kelly discovered the most effective way to help children navigate the complex and intimate topic of puberty in over twenty years of teaching. She felt compelled to expand her reach and provide tools for children coming-of-age, to decrease anxiety of the unknown and to help eliminate awkwardness. Kelly highlights the importance of having open parent communication, the value of education and how we are all in this together.

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