How to answer 5 year old question

[stupidgirlNo1]

My DS has been asking me how people are made for last couple of days.I told we are formed from egg.His next question is waht happens to yolk.Will we eat it?.I told him it is egg with nuclueos not yolk and the division and the organs formed.......Still he is not convinced.
I am not sure how to talk about egg,sperm mating......... :o.
Has anyone had these questions and how did everybody mange and convince..

[AChickenCalledKorma]

It's a very, very tiny egg, so tiny that you can't even see it. It is kept safely inside a lady until it is ready to grow. When a mummy and daddy want to make a baby, the man has some special stuff in his body that he can use to make the egg begin to grow.

Totally up to you how much detail you provide about how the special stuff gets to the egg .

[Binfullofsiliconelimbsonthe45]

DS was asking at 4 yo.

So I got some books, Where did I come from? How was I made? Etc.

Went straight to the biological names for parts and explained the science behind it all with pictures and drawings. Apart from the "special cuddle" description, man and woman in love etc, all DS wanted was the facts!

I know people are in two camps about this, but once his curiosity was satisfied he just moved on to his next set of questions about space, trains whatever.

3 years on I find him still reading and referencing the books from time to time, he is matter of fact about it and it's all a normal part of being a human being. It hasn't stolen away his youth, or sexualised him at an early age, he merely knows what his body parts will do when he grows up.

I'd recommend sitting down with some age appropriate books. The enjoyable part is sharing how a baby grows over time, DS was fascinated.

[Houseworkprocrastinator]

My little one picked this up in the library the other day

www.amazon.co.uk/Where-Willy-Went-Nicholas-Allan/dp/0091892953?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

She is only little so I didn't get it but I had a quick flick through and it seemed quite good.

[StillSquiffy]

I rather like the way in which the reception teacher in DC's school was rescued by another child from the very intense questioning of one 4 yr old who persistently asked "but how does daddy's stuff get into the mummy's tummy"? He came back to this same qn again and again until another 4 yr old piped up "God puts it there, of course. Duh" It's a complete cop out, but a good one.

[pianomama]

DS age 4 having seen a heavily pregnant lady and having been told she has a baby inside :

"Why did she eat a baby?".

DM : No, baby's is growing inside her tummy from a little seed.

DS age 5 : "I know babies grow inside mummy's tummy from seeds, but how did they get there?"

DM : " Ask your father "

By the time DH gets hoe, DS forgot all about it.
Phew...

[seeker]

Just explain. The yolk is the embryo.

5 year olds as this sort of thing a lot. All you have to do is answer.

[seeker]

And don't make stuff up. If they are old enough to ask the question they q old enough to be told the answer.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

Agree with Seeker. Just answer the question, keep it factual, keep it simple and don't get embarrassed.

And I'm sure "God put it there" was a very useful get-out for the teacher, but even as a religious person I think that's a bit of a rubbish answer for an inquisitive four year old! Also liable to create confusion if it's a Catholic school and they're big on the immaculate conception!!!

[stupidgirlNo1]

Thanks for all the reply.Sorry for long time,since busy in house hunt.On sunday DS was asking about electron which he heard in the TV.DH started explaining that everything is made of atom to explain the electron.DS immediately said mummy said people are made from egg.Well he stopped there without making to compliceted.
phew :o

[BlackSwan]

We're still in the 101 class: My 29mo wants to know "what's mummy got down there on her bottom". I said hair. I told him only boys and men have willies, but what's a good answer to his question?

[Pipsqueak99]

I've gone through all this with my 4 year old and now he knows the answer he is satisfied. What I am really struggling with is the question "But where was I before I was born/before I was in your tummy". It crops up again and again "where was I before you were married?" " but where was I when grandad was alive?" etc etc.
It seems at 4 years old (even seemingly understanding how babies are made), the concept that once upon a time they didn't exist is impossible to take in.
I just can't satisfy this question from my DS.

[supergah]

Why is this in gifted and talented?

[Riddler266]

We were driving one day with out 4 year old DS in the back reading his DK Junior Illustrated Science Dictionary.

Me - "What are you reading about?"
DS - "Reproduction"
Me - "....."

;o)

[Riddler266]

Pipsqueak99 - tell DS that she was always in you as an egg - even when you were in Grandma's tummy, you still had her as an egg inside you.

Egg-ception for toddlers! That might stop her asking ;o)