At what age do you tell your kids how babies are made?

[Teacher12345]

My son is 7. He has asked a couple times and I have managed to skirt around it. I don't want to lie to him but "man puts penis in vagina" sounds too grown up for 7. That said, a cousin of mine told her son just that at age 4 when he asked.
What have you said so far?

[nasiisthebest]

Answer something but don't make it too technical. When I asked my mum she went full scientific and I didn't understand any of it. Watching horses mate was a much easier to understand process.

[Justajot]

We just answer as questions arise, though we have quite curious DDs, so they always know more than is being covered at school that year. I'd rather they learnt at home than at school.

DD2's latest question was "why do I have brown skin like Daddy if I grew from an egg in your tummy?" So now she knows that Daddy provided a seed to go with the egg. She's 5.

I am not sure what I'd do if they didn't ask questions.

[OhioOhioOhio]

So for those of you who have children who could explain it, what would you expect your child to say?

[tiredanddangerous]

I think we started with "daddy has a seed and mummy has an egg" when they first asked (probably around age 4ish) Luckily they were a fair bit older before they asked further questions!

[JizzPigeon22]

@OhioOhioOhio my daughter says “babies grown in the womb, they get there because the lady has an egg and the man has sperm from his balls. The egg splits and turns into a baby that comes out from the ladies Bagina”

She is disgusted by balls though

[Breathmiller]

ohio that's an interesting question actually. What we say to them and what they take in are often two different things.

[SandieCheeks]

@OhioOhioOhio

So for those of you who have children who could explain it, what would you expect your child to say?

3 year old - mummy has an egg and daddy has a seed and the baby grows in mummy’s tummy until it comes out of her vagina.
6 year old - the seed comes out of daddy’s willy and he puts it in mummy’s vagina.
10 year old knows a bit more about sex/emotional & relationship side of things rather than just the mechanics.

[BereftOfInk]

Daddy has a seed and gives it to mummy's egg. Around 4, we told them because he asked. Didn't ask how Daddy gave the seed until he was 8 and out on a trip with daddy We've had a book on the bookcase since he was about 6 but clearly that part didn't register (SN), or he just wanted confirmation.

DD is 8, we've had the contraception discussion, how babies are made, DNA, why some babies are miscarried and why some people (BIL & SIL) can't have babies, adoption etc.

[OhioOhioOhio]

Thanks, I'm a single mum and honestly think my kids will be more shocked by the idea that I used to sit in the same room as their father than anything else. That aside, I just wonder because I don't think my kids are that well informed at the moment. I have bought books and am geared up for talking about it if need be but, erm, am happy to avoid it for as long as I can.

[SimonJT]

@OhioOhioOhio

So for those of you who have children who could explain it, what would you expect your child to say?

My son went around telling people I had put my penis in his mum to make him erm, er, no mate, you’re adopted. So a revision of more work on birth families was swiftly needed!

[BogRollBOGOF]

DS1 (9) is the curious type so we've had umpteen questions over the years. Some because they blundered in while I was halfway through manhandling the moon cup. And both have asked questions about why willies go hard (blood pressure when their hard bears faster). There was the time that DS was 5 and was in an x-ray waiting room and it revived the conversation about willies not having bones.

We do use formal language too so they know a willy is a penis and a baby hole is a vagina.

At 8, I was asked "what's sex?" While in a public place, and fortunately I asked "what makes you ask?" Because he was talking about Cex the second hand entertainments shop, not the birds and the bees.

It's probably a bit garbled in his head but its good that they are comfortable to ask and won't get the entire biology lesson in one fell swoop. Plus I think y4 should have had the puberty topic this summer which obviously hasn't happened yet.

[OhioOhioOhio]

So difficult to know how much to say though.

[june2007]

I think there are different levels of answers, always be honest but match what you say to there level of understanding.

[Bmidreams]

"Mummy, do you remember when daddy put his sperms in you?" I answered with an honest, "no"!! Did not see that one coming!!!

[Mintjulia]

I tried when ds was 8 but he got up and walked off

School tried in years 5 & 6 but he zoned out and refused to listen.

This year he had to do homework about eggs and sperm and draw what went where, so he did it but spent three weeks complaining that things were disgusting & gross

I asked if he had any questions and he said “just don’t”.

I don’t think he’s destined to be a doctor !

[JellyBabiesSaveLives]

Rowboatsindisguise - I also had a very embarrassing chat with Lucy’s mum, who was unaware that Lucy knew ...

[Breathmiller]

@Bmidreams

"Mummy, do you remember when daddy put his sperms in you?" I answered with an honest, "no"!! Did not see that one coming!!!

haha. Neither did you obviously

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I’ve told them from the beginning but I’ve just asked my seven year old if he knows how babies are made and he said no 🤣. So obviously none of it has sunk in and at some point he’ll be interested I assumend will retail the information.

[justanotherneighinparadise]

I assume and

[Breathmiller]

Ach don't chat to real people while trying to be clever on mumsnet breathmiller.
I meant you didn't see daddy ...er...coming. sorry. Taking the thread into a different direction I'm not a bored school kid..honestly

[Bmidreams]

@Breathmiller ha ha!! I got it!!!

[Breathmiller]

bmidreams 🤣

[BiBabbles]

I explained it to DD1 when she was about 5 in a very basic way, she asked when I was pregnant with DS2.

When she asked, DS1 ran out of the room before I could answer like his little 7 year old life depended on not hearing it. Neither he or DD2 ever asked. I remember asking DS1 if he knew how babies were made when he was about 9-10 and he said "we're all made from stardust" in a very determined 'end of conversation' tone. We have several books from What Makes a Baby to It's Perfectly Normal which DD1 has all read repeatedly, but the other two mostly avoid (DS2 likes What Makes a Baby, but none of the others yet). We eventually did a body science unit to make it slightly easier to discuss alongside how hi cardiovascular and all other body systems worked.

[Prokupatuscrakedatus]

I remember about 50 years ago me and DB were told not to mention how babies were made to a class mate. He believed they were found in cabbage heads (at the age of 6). DM explained that he had old fashioned parents who could not talk about these things, so we were careful. DM was about 8 month pregnant at the time.

[Heatherjayne1972]

I just answered their questions in a factual way appropriate for their age
Mine just wanted to know how baby got in there and baby gets out
When they were 9-10 I got a book and they get told everything in year 6 - periods puberty babies sex

But in secondary they get told a lot more -