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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:
Believeitornot · 12/12/2018 19:17

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

Only because she’ll sense your discomfort!

It’s like when my kids asked me what a female dog was called when they full well knew the answer 🤣🤣🤣

SoyDora · 12/12/2018 19:17

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

It took me ages to figure out you meant periods with that Confused.

I’m pregnant and my 5 and 3 year olds have asked all the questions! I’ve told them the truth. Brief and factual. Don’t really know why you’d do anything else!

BroomstickOfLove · 12/12/2018 19:17

My bottom was sore when I did have a baby, not when I didn't Grin

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Families
SoyDora · 12/12/2018 19:19

^ yes I also bought the ‘where willy went’ book

AnnaMagnani · 12/12/2018 19:19

By 7 they are well old enough to know the actual facts.

It's keeping it a mystery that makes it 'dirty'.

I knew by 4 and that was back in the late 70s. When all the other kids found out at 10-11 I had no idea why they were fussed and thought it was rude.

wallowinwater · 12/12/2018 19:22

Watch The Great Migration- David Attenborough of course .... nature programs are a nice non threatening way in, I've always just talked openly about it all from a young age.

Namechange8471 · 12/12/2018 19:23

Mummy and daddy had sex

Daddy put his penis in mummy's vagina.

Daddy's sperm (from his penis) then makes its way to mammys egg (in her vagina)

MrsJamieFraser2 · 12/12/2018 19:24

I was open and honest (in an age appropriate fashion) with my 6 year old daughter when she asked me how her yet to be born brother had got into my tummy. Her response was "well that doesn't sound like much fun Mummy"!

He's now my ExH. And no it wasn't much fun 😊

smiler0206 · 12/12/2018 19:27

My DD asked the same questions at 7 and she's 8 now and still believes what I told her. The doctor takes some of mummys and daddy's DNA and mixes it together then uses a needle to put the mixture into one of mummys eggs and that grows into a baby.

TonsilTits · 12/12/2018 19:27

Bottom plasters Hmm DD is 4 & happily shouts "are you using a TAMPOM today mummy?" in a public loo.

SixButterflies · 12/12/2018 19:33

Bottom plasters?!?
Jesus. What's your bottom got to go with periods?
And periods aren't a wound that need a dressing!

I told my 3 and a half year old that a woman has an egg in her tummy and man has a seed in his willy. The man's willy goes in the woman's vagina, the egg and seed mix together and a baby is made. Or words to that effect.

As for how a baby is born - we had great times watching kittens being born on YouTube. It was simple enough to relate what we watched to humans.

Thesearmsofmine · 12/12/2018 19:34

Actually snorted when I read bottom plasters!

I am pretty honest, they know what they need to know in an age appropriate way. I’m amazed you got to 7!

Original poster
DoubleLottchen · 12/12/2018 19:38

Broomstick I did say nearly all of that in one conversation. Plus about genetics and IVF and how same-sex couples can have children. She likes to have everything straight in her head and understand everything.

I'm definitely going to get a book.

And she has watched lots of nature documentaries actually. Maybe she does know and just wants me to confirm.

OP posts:
redcaryellowcar · 12/12/2018 19:41

I read that it's best to talk (not excessively) about it now, as they won't ask later and they potentially end up with odd information gleaned from friends, internet etc?

EarringsandLipstick · 12/12/2018 19:44

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

Jesus christ.

^^ exactly.

For goodness sake. Tell them in simple truthful language what happens. Use words like ‘period’, yes even when they are little. I cannot understand putting out misinformation like this that has to be corrected later. Kids take things as they are presented.

KnitFastDieWarm · 12/12/2018 19:49

I really struggle to understand this kind of thing I’m afraid. It’s no different to if your dc ask what clouds are or why we poo - you just tell them! Hmm
My DS is 3 and knows what periods are because he watches me in the loo - ‘its what happens when a lady isn’t having a baby, it doesn’t hurt but mummy uses a pad/tampon to stop it getting on her pants’ is a perfectly age appropriate explanation that is also factual.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 12/12/2018 19:49

The book where Willy went is perfect.

KMoKMo · 12/12/2018 19:51

Any other book recommendations? Thanks for this thread - really helpful.

Trinpy · 12/12/2018 19:55

OP I completely understand what you mean about them asking so many questions! I felt very confident when DS started asking me about how babies were made, but I was a bit taken aback by all the very detailed follow-up questions! Some children just like asking questions.

DS is 4 and knows that girls are born with lots of tiny eggs in their body and when they are grown ups some of the eggs may grow into babies. The babies grow bigger and stronger in the mummy's tummy until they're ready to be born, then they come out through the mummy's vagina. I then had months of him asking if he could see on me exactly where the babies came from Hmm. He had to make do with some diagrams from Google instead. I purposely left out the dads part in it all because some friends of ours (who are a lesbian couple) were expecting a baby and he was already asking lots of questions about how many mummies and daddies you could have, I didn't want to complicate things further with talk of IUI and sperm donors!

At 7 I think you can tell them as much as they want to know. They are old enough at that age to understand its private and not something to loudly talk about while you're queuing up in Argos Blush.

anniehm · 12/12/2018 19:55

By a suitable book - luckily mine weren't really interested, school did the job for me in year 5.

theworldistoosmall · 12/12/2018 19:58

Bottom plasters. So now when the child is constipated they will want a bottom plaster. Grin

I found honesty the best thing and not mis-naming body parts helped. One of my dd's had an infection and it would have been as confusing as fuck if everything was called a bottom.

As they asked questions I answered. Sometimes it would include follow-up questions a few days later as they processed the info.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 12/12/2018 20:02

The only fault I've got with where Willy went is that Willy was a boy sperm who turned out to a baby girl
If you're going to write such a book it might as well be written factually and exact.

KindergartenKop · 12/12/2018 20:03

Mummy has an egg and Daddy has a seed. DS has noticed his 'seeds' when in the bath. Daddy puts the seed inside Mummy in a special cuddle and the egg and seed join together to make a baby. The baby comes out of the mummy's vagina.
'The body book' by Claire Rayner taught me the birds and the bees and I've bought it for my kids.

Bottomplasters · 12/12/2018 20:04

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