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Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

Preschool education

fertilization of eggs and mating taught to 3yo

34 replies

PaulCardiff · 07/12/2015 21:32

My 3yo dd came home with a book from her Catholic nursery with a life cyles book,egg to penguin.in the book it mentions how the male fertilizes the egg and the egg is inside the penguin.is this too early for her?or is this the norm?seems a little early,more for my wife.are we over reacting?

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CultureSucksDownWords · 07/12/2015 21:56

No, it's fine. What would be the problem with knowing what eggs are at 3?

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PaulCardiff · 08/12/2015 07:07

Knowing what eggs are isnt the problem. Its that a male fertilizes the egg while its inside the female. So you are happy to explain the "ins and outs" of reproduction to a 3 yo?

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doceodocere · 08/12/2015 07:10

Yes you are over reacting. She has been given some basic scientific facts about reproduction.

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SweetAdeline · 08/12/2015 07:13

Yes I would be happy with my 3yo being taught the basics of reproduction.

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SweetAdeline · 08/12/2015 07:14

Including some of the "ins and outs".

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TheGreenNinja · 08/12/2015 07:17

Seems fine to me - I don't have a problem with 3 yo being told factually correct information and it sounds at an age-appropriate level.

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YouBastardSockBalls · 08/12/2015 07:22

Book - fine

Live penguin porn show - questionable

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PaulCardiff · 08/12/2015 07:33

Spoke to a few friends who teach the same age group.they know the book and they say its for year 3 and up.i personally, am ok with it.my wife on the other hand is not. She said, what do we say when two animals are going at it and we say their just hugging, then my dd turns around and says no mummy their fertilizing their egg for a baby.

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SweetAdeline · 08/12/2015 07:37

Why would you say they were just hugging?
What does it matter that she knows they are mating?

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bittapitta · 08/12/2015 07:39

Does she have siblings/younger cousins? Hasn't she asked about how babies get into mummies tummy etc? All sounds like it has been taught to her in an age appropriate way to be honest.

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Fugghetaboutit · 08/12/2015 07:40

My ds loves the book by Babette Cole 'Mummy laid an egg' and he's 3 soon. It's science!

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Whatthefreakinwhatnow · 08/12/2015 07:41

hugging?!

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AuntieStella · 08/12/2015 07:41

Using a resource designed for 7/8 year olds in a nursery to 3 year olds is a problem. In every subject, including this one.

It is important to have a good SRE curriculum.

It is important within that to use age-appropriate materials, and something designed for children 5 years (and 2 key stages) older is wrong.

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PrincessHairyMclary · 08/12/2015 07:42

No problem with any child being taught the facts of life. My DD is 6 and knows more about reproduction than some of the year 7 children I work with. If you talk about it in a matter of fact way from the start it's not going to be an issue.

And as for 2 Animals going at it why can't you say they are making a baby?

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MrsUnderwood · 08/12/2015 07:42

It's science, dude. Nothing corrupt or lascivious about it. By lying or being embarrassed about the way life is made it is setting it up in her mind to be something shameful.

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Besom · 08/12/2015 07:43

You say 'yes that's right daling'. That's not very likely to happen though.
My Dd is 7 and I have always told her factual information. One of my dogs tries to hump the other one regularly and I've told her that the dog wants to try to make puppies. Doesn't mean she understands anything about sex however, she doesn't.

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PaulCardiff · 08/12/2015 07:43

Playing mummies and daddies will reach a whole new level.lol, thats my wifes idea.shes brought up Catholic.i know that when I was 5 I knew a lot through my older bro.and I also know my mummies and daddies reached a new exploritary level.but I tell her that I turned out ok.

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PotteringAlong · 08/12/2015 07:44

Don't tell her they're just hugging! They're not!

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ShelaghTurner · 08/12/2015 08:05

I was brought up Catholic and my children are being brought up Catholic. I'd have no problem with my 3yo being taught this. She hasn't asked anything yet and my 7yo only asked this year and she was told everything in an age appropriate way. I'm quite happy for the ball to be set rolling earlier with dd2.

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BertrandRussell · 08/12/2015 08:13

Wonderful.

Can you explain why you think it's a problem?

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AuntieStella · 08/12/2015 08:17

I think the problem is that a 3 year old is unlikely to benefit from materials written for 7/8 year olds.

It's not specifically SRE problem, it would be just as problematic with any curriculum subject.

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Costacoffeeplease · 08/12/2015 08:17

Would you rather have an embarrassed conversation when she's 8, 9, 10? Much better that she learns facts from an early age, and that that learning continues. I don't get all the angst actually, and I was brought up catholic too

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Sleepyfergus · 08/12/2015 08:22

Good god, she's not come back with 'the joy of sex'. She's been told the truth albeit they have missed out a few steps which would be meaningless to a 3yo at this stage.

And don't tell your dd that animals are hugging if they are meting. Tell them they are making a baby monkey/dog/zebra whatever! That's the truth and there is nothing sordid about it. . She'll prob move on and be quite uninterested but at least you won't have lied to her

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AuntieStella · 08/12/2015 08:26

"She's been told the truth albeit they have missed out a few steps"

Thise 'few steps' being the reception, year 1 and year 2 SRE topics.

I know MNetters all have brilliant DC who are well capable of absorbing material 4 school years ahead of their age But I think it's not great for general classroom use to use materials designed for pupils more than twice their age.

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CharmingChampignon · 08/12/2015 08:27

Seems odd that they'd have ks2 resources in a nursery.

However, my dc have 'Mummy Laid An Egg' and 'Where Willy Went' and we read them as normal stories. I've answered all their questions factually and used correct anatomical words. They know about periods and sex and caesarians...mine are 4 & 6 and seem well adjusted and age appropriate. If you don't answer their questions now, when do you suddenly start?