August 31, 2010

The Birds and the Bees

I knew this day would come eventually. I just didn't know it would be this soon. The other day, my daughters wanted to know how babies eat when they're in their mommy's tummies. They were fascinated to learn about the purpose of their belly buttons, although I'm still trying to explain why three of them are "outies" and one is an "innie." Then came the dreaded follow up: "How do babies get in their mommy's tummies?" I was driving and able to deflect with this wimpish response: "Look! Horses!"
Since that initial conversation, the question has not come up again. Yet, I think I need to take some action. I've been scouring the internet for age-appropriate books. I'm not ready to talk to them about puberty, menstruation, or any of those related topics. I am, however, trying to find a simple way to explain the birds and the bees. I haven't been happy with what I've found. Some books are too childish (using rhyming tactics that reviewers say make the message silly), others are beyond what a nearly-five-year-old needs to know.
I know some people might be shaking their heads and thinking it's simply too early to have this conversation. My girls are in school. They are in school with children who have younger siblings and have likely already had some version of "the Talk." I want them to hear these things from me first, not hear it on the playground. So.... any suggestions?

6 comments:

MaryAnne said...

No suggestions, but I'd love to know if you find a book you like!

Sadia said...

I found The Production Line to be quite satisfactory, and you can skip the spreads on puberty, etc.

Anonymous said...

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-Come-Peter-Mayle/dp/0818402539

Have a look at "Where Did I come From" It's aimed at 4-8 yr olds and it's very easy to read

Stephanie said...

When I was that age, my mom told me that the daddy gives the mommy a seed and it grows into a baby in her tummy. Apparently that satisfied me- she didn't give me the real talk (puberty, intercourse) until I was around 8 or 9. Good luck. I am soooo not looking forward to this part of parenting!

mmunford2000 said...

I am new to your blog and find it quite fascinating. My kids have asked me about this and I made it very scientific. I used the words egg, sperm, and zygote. That was enough for them! We didn't discuss anything specific about men and women nor did we discuss how the limosine pulls into the garage and lets off its passengers.

Quadmama said...

We were actually at the pediatrician today and I asked for her recommendations. Surprisingly, she didn't have any.

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