What age do you start talking to your kids about reproduction?

[MarshmallowAra]

Not really an AIBU, I know.

Two wood pigeons have just bred while i was watching them out the window with my DD who's almost 4.

I usually try to explain things to my child in an honest, factual way. But is it too early to try to introduce the basics of reproduction (and will other parents be really pissed off if she repeats anything to other kids)?

I've said some things to DS, 4.

He said he was going to have a baby in his tummy one day, I said no, only women can do that, then he said "but how do I get a baby?" So I mumbled something about a man has seeds he puts into the ladies tummy and that's where the baby grows. I don't think he needs any more specifics.

He already knows babies can either come out between your legs or up out of your tummy, because he has seen my c scar from DD and been told he didnt come out the same way.

I've started at 4.

There is a great book called What Makes a Baby which is 100% sexless and genderless. It's about as basic as it gets. Mine really enjoy it and it hasn't led to any questions.

And it provides a good foundation for more in depth books about reproduction in a few years time.

Only when he asked and with an age appropriate answer. I didn't go into any detail unless further questions were asked, but usually at that age it's a simple question, and surely two pigeons does not require more than a "showing that they love each other" type response if you are asked. I've also done the "man has seeds he puts in the mummy's tummy" line when DS was younger and he never asked anything further than that.

I mumbled something about a man has seeds he puts into the ladies tummy and that's where the baby grows. I don't think he needs any more specifics.

I'm so specific about everything I'd really have to change my way of communicating.

@ElspethFlashman

I've started at 4.

There is a great book called What Makes a Baby which is 100% sexless and genderless. It's about as basic as it gets. Mine really enjoy it and it hasn't led to any questions.

And it provides a good foundation for more in depth books about reproduction in a few years time.

Will get a copy of that, thanks for recommendation.

I glossed over anything and waited for the school to introduce it which is way earlier than I ever knew anything!

surely two pigeons does not require more than a "showing that they love each other"

I could be being unrealistic but I don't fancy filling my child's head with ideas of "love" including between animals, in relation to sex or reproduction. It seems saccharin and misleading.

As soon as they asked questions, I answered them

I started when my son was four, it helps him to understand that he has a birth mum and a birth dad when doing life story work.

I’m not keen on mapping human stuff into the natural world. I don’t think pigeons love each other in the same way as human pairs, and loving each other doesn’t help lesbians conceive. Bird sex especially can look pretty aggressive, Pigeons, cockerels etc lost penises as an adaptation to aid flight, so the male has to hold on very tight to the hen’s feathers, sometimes drawing blood.

Some more relevant sex ed might be useful?

@FindingMeno

I glossed over anything and waited for the school to introduce it which is way earlier than I ever knew anything!

I didnt get sex education at school until.mayne 16/17.

Thk goodness for my older sisters magazines and novels.

My DD just turned 5 and I have been wondering this. I think it might be better to give the facts before they start asking questions and getting confused or wrong information elsewhere?

@bungabungaboo

As soon as they asked questions, I answered them

Me too!! 😀

@MarshmallowAra I agree.

We have dogs, and I am an occasional breeder. Therefore my small children know the mechanics. I just explained that the males knew when the females were ready, and when they had released an egg, and that they then fertilised that egg with sperm, and puppies grew.

It made it really easy to transition to human anatomy/reproduction.

A little off topic but pigeons do actually mate for life so I wouldn't necessarily discount the whole love thing.

And if you look at research and homosexual sex in nature, a lot of sex isn't actually for reproduction. I find it interesting anyway.

3/4 for "an egg from the mummy and a seed from the daddy make a baby and grows in the mummy's tummy" type stuff.
8ish for the "penis in a vagina" type stuff.

@MarshmallowAra

Not really an AIBU, I know.

Two wood pigeons have just bred while i was watching them out the window with my DD who's almost 4.

I usually try to explain things to my child in an honest, factual way. But is it too early to try to introduce the basics of reproduction (and will other parents be really pissed off if she repeats anything to other kids)?

We had that exact situation on Saturday with DSD8. Not woodpigeons though. Little sparrows. We watched and DSD said ‘what are they doing?’ in a confused manner. Her dad said they’re making baby birds. She just watched and asked nothing more. It was like she had chosen not to process the info! All quite surreal what with the male pecking the female each time he jumped on. She patiently let him get on with it. DSD was fascinated but just as she is with any animal up close.

@BiscuitLover09876

A little off topic but pigeons do actually mate for life so I wouldn't necessarily discount the whole love thing.

Yes I did read that when I looked up why they were pecking at each others beak .. I initially thought it was a well grown baby and mother, and the mum was feeding it ... But it turns out they peck at each others beaks and the female feeds the male before mating. It's interesting, I didn't know before.

But id still rather not get too much onto "love".

I never swerve the subject if it comes up, then ask the facts saree covered in an easy natural way from day one. Just say they are meeting and that's what needs to happen for baby birds to be made. Or something similar. No need to go into huge detail or relate it to humans, that's enough to stay with.

DS1 is 5, he knows that sperm is made in the testicles, and the man puts it in the ladys womb to mix with the egg, and then she grows a baby which comes out of a special hole called a vagina. He likes sciency stuff so knows quite a lot of detail for his age I guess.

He has asked how the sperm gets to the womb but I've told him its complicated and he'll learn at school when he's a bit older.

Bloody auto correct. I'll assume you can translate.

I have 3 DS's aged between 4yrs and 3m. Both the older 2 have quite good knowledge of the mechanics, body parts, how babies are born etc

We have hens and one is due to hatch eggs this weekend so that has led to quite detailed discussion of the differences between human and chicken baby production. Plus all the lambs in the fields round where we live...

I'm hoping with it being a farming area the other mums won't hate me. Be difficult to explain their livelihoods if they were shy about it

@zoeydollie

3/4 for "an egg from the mummy and a seed from the daddy make a baby and grows in the mummy's tummy" type stuff. 8ish for the "penis in a vagina" type stuff.

Seems reasonable.

Interestingly, we keep chickens and our hens love their cockerel (if he was human he'd be a hipster, he's such a conscientious partner) We let some hatch and got another cockerel who was much more 'gung-ho' shall we say, about mating, the hens prefer the older cockerel and would avoid the young one if they could which also brought up the topic of consent and power (age appropriate view point) I was never prouder than when my dd ( 7) said if she ever mated she would want to do that with someone she chose and anyone who didn't respect her disinterest was a bad character.
Gung-ho cockerel went to a new home and the hens are calm and happy again.