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Original poster

What age did you tell your kids how babies are made?

52 replies

Tailfeather · 05/12/2023 21:01

I'm sure this has been asked before, but curious to know when you told your children about the birds and the bees? My son is 7. He knows he was put in my tummy by a doctor (I had IVF) and knows the scar where he came out (c-section). But doesn't know the 'normal' way to make a baby/give birth. Thanks!

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Smarshian · 05/12/2023 21:05

I have always answered their questions in an honest way. Dd is 6 and ds is 5. They know about periods, eggs, sperm and vaginal and C-section births.

theduchessofspork · 05/12/2023 21:09

About 6? If they didn’t ask I engineered it

If you find it a bit mortifying there are good books to help

Ozzyskye · 05/12/2023 21:12

Ds is 5 and he knows mummy has eggs, that I grew him in my tummy and he's seen pictures of his (c section, admittedly a bit graphic) birth. He knows that some babies are born via vaginal delivery and he knows that mummy has a period.

But... He's never actually made the link to ask how daddy is involved in all of this, so I have yet to explain that bit. I'm pretty open about biology but I'm not sure I need to raise it myself at this age, it still seems so young! Obviously he knows PANTS etc...

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Original poster
Tailfeather · 05/12/2023 22:05

I'm very comfortable talking about it, just wondering what kind of age is normal to chat about it. He hasn't asked, but maybe because he thinks he knows everything!

OP posts:
Emrie · 06/12/2023 07:27

My 3&6 year old know.
ive never kept anything secret and always answered questions.

older DD was 2.5 when i was pregnant and also there when i went into labour at home.
she was a great birthing partner. Although thankfully the ambulance and her grandad came before the actual birth.

they know that mummy (and them) have eggs. 3DD thinks I lay them like a chicken 🤣
daddy has the other part to make a baby and we make it together.

they know baby grows and where baby comes out.
they have both asked about their births so know about induction etc.

also due to never leaving me alone they know about periods and puberty

LongLiveGoblingKing · 06/12/2023 07:31

My 4yo asked how he got out of my tummy so I explained vaginal and c section births. He's never asked how he got in there but I'm sure it's not too far away.

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 07:32

I let the school handle it

MirandaWest · 06/12/2023 07:35

About 4 or 5 I think.

Grimmz · 06/12/2023 07:36

Around 4 when she asked.

WanderingWitches · 06/12/2023 07:37

Mine asked where do babies come from around 4 and we watched some very tame birth videos showing the baby coming from between the legs but not showing any parts. I explained it was the vagina though. As for how they get in there, that conversation came up at around age 7 for my eldest and literally yesterday for my youngest who is also now 7.
They have known all about periods since being toddlers as I've never hidden that.

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 06/12/2023 07:37

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 07:32

I let the school handle it

This is a joke isn't it? I'm only two cups of tea in and can't tell 😂

Mummymummy89 · 06/12/2023 07:38

My dd is 3 and I've explained to her about the birth part but not the sex part. I'm going to have a c section in less than two weeks, and she's seen my first scar lots of times, so it was easy to explain that's how I'm having dc2.

However... I needed her to understand in a basic way about vaginal births as most new mums aren't as incapacitated after the birth as I'll be (because she's met new mums before who were fit as fiddles, whereas I'll be struggling to walk etc)

She's no way near ready for the sex part of the explanation...! She often says she wants to be a mummy when she's a grown up but gets confused and alarmed when I suggest she might need "a husband to be the daddy" first.

As far as she's concerned, pregnancy happens immaculately and spontaneously to (some) grown up women.

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 07:38

Fooshufflewickjbannanapants · 06/12/2023 07:37

This is a joke isn't it? I'm only two cups of tea in and can't tell 😂

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No the school taught it at an age younger than I would have brought it up (about 10)

WillowTit · 06/12/2023 07:39

when they asked about 4 or 5 i guess

Georgie743 · 06/12/2023 07:40

We read a really good book that explains all sorts of family structures, all the ways to get pregnant and the ways to give birth. Think dc was about 5.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 06/12/2023 07:40

When they ask— my 6yr old has never asked so I’ve not felt the need to talk about it. I’ll keep it factual but basic when she does.

Mummymummy89 · 06/12/2023 07:41

Ps yes my dd has always known about periods and will happily narrate the time I had a period accident at the soft play.

But she'd never dream that's in any way related to having babies

SquigglePigs · 06/12/2023 07:42

My 4yr old DD has known that sperm comes from the Dad and eggs from the Mum, where they grow and c-sections (in excruciating detail because she kept asking questions) for a while and broadly knows about vaginal birth but she's not asked how the sperm gets to the egg yet so we haven't covered that bit. She also loosely knows about contraception because she was asking about having a choice about having babies when she's older. I'm pretty much going for an answering what she asks approach.

User1343 · 06/12/2023 07:43

I feel I’ve missed the boat now - DD is 9 and has never asked and now she wouldn’t dream of having that sort of convo with me (ew muuum).

the teens were about 4/5 when they started asking (due to DD being on the way I think) so it came up naturally and they got the chats in young. By the time they were 9/10 they wouldn’t have talked to me about that stuff and wouldn’t have wanted to.

so in my limited experience of 3 kids, 9/10ish is too old so get in there earlier than that.

Grimmz · 06/12/2023 07:44

May I ask for some advice on explaining periods to my young DD? I know it's the shedding of one's unfertilised uterine lining but I need a more child-friendly explanation I think...

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 06/12/2023 07:46

DD asked when she was 3; she thought it was hilarious and I was joking. Couldn’t wait to tell daddy the new joke when he got home from work 🫣

Ascubudr · 06/12/2023 07:47

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 07:38

No the school taught it at an age younger than I would have brought it up (about 10)

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This has got to be a wind up. 30% of girls get thier periods by or at 10 !

FatFatMary · 06/12/2023 07:49

Ascubudr · 06/12/2023 07:47

This has got to be a wind up. 30% of girls get thier periods by or at 10 !

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I’ve no girls

bellac11 · 06/12/2023 07:51

This has come up before and some posters do feel about 10 is right

Personally I feel that is far far too late and around 3 onwards is when you have the discussions and demonstrations of their toys or animals in the house or taking them to farms/animal parks etc particularly around spring if possible

Emrie · 06/12/2023 07:53

Grimmz · 06/12/2023 07:44

May I ask for some advice on explaining periods to my young DD? I know it's the shedding of one's unfertilised uterine lining but I need a more child-friendly explanation I think...

So with mine 3&6 I said this

every month your eggs are sent to your womb and it grows a blanket for the baby.
if mummy and daddy haven’t made a baby then the body gets rid of it.
thats what a period is. (Lots of but why can’t we have another baby- every month)

explained it happens when you’re body could have a baby but just coz you have a period doesn’t mean you are ready for a baby.
6 year old then stated you needed to be married to have one 😂

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