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Original poster

What do you tell your child about how babies are made.

124 replies

DoubleLottchen · 12/12/2018 18:47

DD (7) was asking me "I don't understand how I am related to daddy".

Explained everything bar one crucial fact, which obviously she put her finger on straight away - "but I don't understand how it gets from daddy to inside you".

I feel she is too young to know that - am I being ridiculous? What do others say - I would like to keep it factual but child-friendly.

OP posts:
ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 12/12/2018 18:49

Daddy puts his penis inside mummy's vagina, and a sperm comes out and swims to mummy's egg...

TulipsInbloom1 · 12/12/2018 18:51

We read a story about this at bedtime last night. Ds is 4 and dd is six. The story says "during the special cuddle daddys penis fits inside mummys vagina. The sperm swim out of daddys penis to go and find the egg"

YourEggnogIsBetterThanMine · 12/12/2018 18:53

My 6yo knows a lot and has been asking questions since she was 4. I want to answer as many as I can while she is asking. No point waiting til she's 12.

She knows:

Boys have willies and girls have vaginas

Girls have egg pouches

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

Daddies make seeds and they fall out their willies when they want to make a baby with a mummy

The daddy puts the seed in the mummy's tummy (no further info asked for yet!!)

The baby grows in the mum's belly and comes out the vagina when it's ready

Mummies can take medicine if they don't want a baby

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NotANotMan · 12/12/2018 18:54

If she's asking the question then she's old enough to have the answer (in a basic and age appropriate way)

ChodeofChodeHall · 12/12/2018 18:55

Just answer questions honestly, factually, without volunteering any extra detail.

Youngandfree · 12/12/2018 18:58

All my 5yr old knows is that babies grow in mummy’s tummy and then they come out in the hospital 🤣🤣 she hasn’t asked how it gets in yet 🙈but she did ask how it got out...to which I said “the doctor takes it out” . I’m dreading the rest of the questions but will keep this thread in mind for ideas 😂

Original poster
DoubleLottchen · 12/12/2018 18:59

I'm just struggling with the "age-appropriate" part, I suppose Confused.

OP posts:
tadpole39 · 12/12/2018 19:01

My Dd asked how the baby gets out of the tummy, I said it was pushed out. She thought for a minute then asked how the other boys and girls got in the tummy to push it out!!!

TulipsInbloom1 · 12/12/2018 19:01

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

Jesus christ.

Original poster
DoubleLottchen · 12/12/2018 19:02

Also, she is like a mini Jeremy Paxman, she'll jump on any attempt to not volunteer any extra details with a barrage of pointed questions.

Perhaps a book would be the way forward.

OP posts:
TulipsInbloom1 · 12/12/2018 19:04

The Claire Rayner book is great.

AssassinatedBeauty · 12/12/2018 19:04

"Girls have egg pouches

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

Daddies make seeds and they fall out their willies when they want to make a baby with a mummy"

Please don't say anything like this. Especially not the attempt to explain periods.

A book might be a good idea.

Lucylugs · 12/12/2018 19:04

I just said I'll explain the rest when you're a bit older and they were happy with that. The reason I didn't go into too much detail is my friend decided to explain everything to her son from a young age but he became a bit obsessed and would ask any grown up personal questions at inappropriate times.

explodingkitten · 12/12/2018 19:07

My mum was really practical about it, we used to live next to a farm.

When I asked questions about how babies were born she brought me to a cow who was calfing.
When I asked about sex she brought me to a horse just prior before they breeded her. Boy, the stag had a big penis....

parrotonmyshoulder · 12/12/2018 19:07

Bottom plasters...and egg pouches...?!?!

Just tell them. It’s age appropriate if they’re asking.

And some of them need to be told before they ask. Don’t let them get to 10 without knowing anything!

Atetoomanymincepies · 12/12/2018 19:11

Bottom plasters Grin

BroomstickOfLove · 12/12/2018 19:12

7 is plenty old enough to know the details. The mummy has lots of eggs inside her. Each egg has half of what's needed to make a baby. Every month or so one of the eggs pops out and heads to the uterus which is the place in a woman's body where a baby can grow.

A man's body makes sperm which have the other half of what's needed to make a baby. They are made in his testicles and travel up his penis to come out.

To make a baby, the daddy can put his penis into the mummy's vagina and when the sperm comes out it can travel to her uterus. If the sperm and the egg meet, they join together and have everything that's needed to make a baby, which can grow inside the mummy's uterus until it's time for the baby to be born.

Dimsumlosesum · 12/12/2018 19:13

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

Explanations like this really messed with my understanding as a child.

BroomstickOfLove · 12/12/2018 19:14

But don't do it all in one big speech. That's one half of a conversation, with all the other bits left out, and it might take place over weeks or months, and will be repeated several times.

YourEggnogIsBetterThanMine · 12/12/2018 19:14

parrot Confused well the question was what do we tell our children and that's what I tell mine. I didn't actually ask for feedback. Thanks though Hmm

Believeitornot · 12/12/2018 19:15

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

🤣🤣🤣🙈🙈🙈🙈

Just be honest.

It’s worse for adults to tell the facts than it is for kids to hear them.

As soon as ds asked, we were honest (hehad a little sister so was curious)

Age 2= a bit of mummy and daddy made a baby
Age 4-5= daddy’s bit was inside mummy then grew into a baby
Age 6+ = mummy and daddy made the baby by daddy putting his penis in mummy’s vagina. That’s how the sperm got to mummy’s egg.

But we put it all in the context of relationships and knowing people and respecting people. Ie you can’t just go around “making babies” wth just anyone.

Mine are 7&9, they know the facts and it’s no biggie at all because we covered it from such a young age

I feel sorry for the kids who’s parents made up bollocks and they’ll find out in the playground.

Believeitornot · 12/12/2018 19:15

Also we did it incrementally. The questions would come up at random times eg on the school run or while eating dinner. We never spent that long on details.

SinisterBumFacedCat · 12/12/2018 19:16

Mummies bottoms get a bit sore when they don't have a baby in their belly and might need bottom plasters

I'm an adult and this completely confused me!

Crimbobimbo · 12/12/2018 19:16

Explain it as it is.

user1471453601 · 12/12/2018 19:16

Oh, crikey. I did the factual stuff with DD. She looked at me and said the my explanation was ridiculous, because that was where daddy's peed from.
i think she was amazed that I didn't know.
Mind you, she also said she wouldn't grow underarm hair as it was a waste of time given i always shaved mine off.

She's in her late 40s now and gay. Make of that what you will