to ask you to guess whether dh or I answered this 'facts of life' question in this way and to ask your opinion on these two appraoches?

[lecce]

I promise I will reveal who said it but want to guage the replies first - not because I intend to lie, but to see what the reception will be before giving my reasons- promise .

So, parent 1 was alone bathing the dc when ds1 (5, just) suddenly noticed his testicles and asked what they were:

Parent 1: They're called testicles.
Ds1: What are they for?
Parent 1: (taken aback, not expecting this) They have a special seed in them for when you want to make a baby.
Ds1: (giggles, thinks a bit) How will they get in (pause, thinks, giggles)...her?
Parent 1: You remember we talked about how babies get in their mummies' tummies and we talked about the special cuddle mummies and daddies have?
Ds1: Yes. (but doesn't really seem sure- still giggly, not unhappy.)

He then changed the subject.

Parent 1 recounted all this to parent 2 (with all the details included above about reactions etc) and Parent 2 said they would simply have said testicles were 'part of what makes you a man,' and left it at that.

Parent 2 is not angry or upset about it but just feels it was too much information.

So who was who and who is BU .

I'd say you are parent 1 and that parent 1 had the best response.

Parent 1 had the best response. Balls do not a man maketh.

Presumably parent two would tell them everything they knew about the functionality of an ear ? What is the difference ?

Parent 1 was right, I think dh was parent 1 and you were parent 2.

Parent 2 is your dh.

You are parent 1.

Parent 1 was mostly right, providing age appropriate information in response to questions and not pressing matter when child lost interest.

Saying testicles is part of what makes you a man is correct though...

I'd guess you were parent 1, and I'd have answered in much the same way I think.

I'd say you were parent 1 too. But I wouldn't have gone with the "special cuddles" explanation myself, as that puzzled me for a very long time as a child. I'd have explained - very simply, what the actual process was.

Parent 1 is mum and parent 2 dad. My dh would have responded in the same way as parent 2.

I think parent ones response was right.

Parent one, definatly right.

You are obviously parent 1, and you are clearly right.

Neither correct, neither incorrect. It's up to each parent how much they feel comfortable sharing, as long as it's kept age-appropriate, and the child has all the details well before puberty.

Well in this house if that scenario played out I would have been parent 1 and DH parent 2. So that's what I am going with. Obviously therefore parent 1 is correct.

I think either response is absolutely fine for a 5yo.

sounds fine to me. not too much information at all

"part of what makes you a man" is a really weird non-answer IMO

Only read the OP.

Parent 1 was right. I think what Parent 2 said was daft for a 5 year old tbh.

you are parent 1. It was a good and age appropriate answer - sex education shouldn't be just the one "talk" IMHO - it's lots of little conversations like this.

I don't think that either is wrong, they just see it a bit differently. However, I think that if a child asks a question it means they are ready to hear the answer.

I don't think that parent 1 gave an inappropriate amount of information. I think they answered the questions simply and honestly. That's far better than trying to avoid the issue.

you would not believe some of the questions I've been asked

Seems too obvious that parent 1 was mum so maybe dad? .

oh, and the problem with parent 2's idea is that they have no way of knowing that the conversation would have ended there You can't just say you'll "leave it there". It doesn't work that way.

"it's part of what makes you a man"

"why?"

?????

Sorry to hijack, but I had similar question in the car yesterday (so I couldn't escape). Mine are a bit older and ds1 (10) had asked "exactly HOW does an egg decide to grow into a baby?" So I explained that the seed (we've talked about DNA and genes before so he knows that people are made up from a mixture of both parents) develops in the testicles and is put into the mummy's 'middle tunnel' (we've talked about that bit before too) by coming out of his willy. At which point ds2 (6) burst out laughing and said "wouldn't it be funny if the daddy missed the mummy's middle tunnel and poked his willy up her bottom!"

They then both wanted to know what would happen if the daddy did a wee inside the mummy. I knew I should have left it to school to explain!!!

Phew - yes I am parent 1 .

I just showed this to dh and he said it's totally obvious I am parent 1!

I just doubted myself there for a moment and thought what if ds turns into a horrid little boy in a playground making girls cry telling them stuff like this because I've given him too much info. (Can't imagine him doing this for a moment btw).

Thanks for the responses.

And I'm sure you're parent 1, op

I think parent 1 was mum and was definitely right, giving them snippets of information when they ask is the way to go.

We had a little discussion about women marrying women and men marrying men today which led on to questions about whether 2 women can make a baby and whether 2 men can make a baby.

x post

I'm impressed at your DS1. I remember telling all 4 of mine (at different times) that testicles were for making the seed that make the baby and it took each of them about 2 further years to actually ask "how?".