[maricela]

Yup...my 5 year old asked me last night...oh wait, first she asked "How did I get in there?" I knew these questions would come but she just turned FIVE!!

Little background here...she's recently become obsessed with the fact that I grew in Grandma's tummy & that my DH grew in Nana's tummy. She tells anyone who will listen this AND that she grew in her birth mom's tummy & that her brother grew in his birth mom's tummy. She has named 1/2 her dolls after my son's birthmom, which by the way, I don't think he likes very much, but that's another issue I have to deal with...anyhow, I think she's been really thinking about this becasue now she has this whole new set of questions for me

She also wants to know how our dog came out of her mom's tummy!! YIKES!!

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to approach this or can you recommend any books?!

[Fran27]

Why not just tell the truth? That mommies have something called a vagina that can let babies through. It doesn't have to be very technical.

[maricela]

Actually I was starting there but quite frankly I was not prepared for that question so I wasn't sure how to answer!! Just thought I'd get get some input from others who have young children. She TOTALLY caught me off guard with that question. I'm very open with my kids so telling the truth isn't an issue but like I said, she caught me off guard. My DH & I actually thought it was pretty funny that she asked!

I know that she'll ask again & wanted to be prepared.

Thanks!!

[thanksgivingmom]

I agree....five is fairly common for kids to get on kicks about things like that (at least in my family I guess!). Most of my neices and nephews have been taught the technical name for their parts since they were little and it seems that once that question is answered it almost becomes kind of boring and they move on.

[maricela]

So - she knows the technical names for boy & girl parts already. Now I can explain how she go out of her Birth Mom's tummy....BUT how can I explain how she got in there!?!?!

Both question caught me off guard but I think this is the question that mostly caught me more off guard. LOL!!

Thanks for all your advice!!

[thanksgivingmom]

Haha, understandable. Good luck!

[mrsdatabits]

In regards to how she got there... why not use a modified truth? DH has mentioned when DD asks that question just saying that a sperm from the man and an egg in the woman come together to make the baby start growing. (of course, he's also hoping that'll satisfy DD and she won't ask how the sperm gets to the egg! )

[HappyTwinsMom]

Well, I copped out when my daughters (just turned 7) asked recently how babies get into mommies' tummies. I said "God puts them there." Honestly, they didn't want to know the technicalities of sexual intercourse and they were completely happy with that answer. For now, anyway.

[Celesyee]

LOL We've prepared ourselves for the whole "tummy mommy" talk, but not how he got in her tummy. My sweet innocent 5y/o neice, who was foster-adopted at 1 years old, got in trouble at her private Catholic school for telling her peers about sex after she was asked why she doesn't look like her mommy and daddy. 'My tummy mommy and daddy had sex, but couldn't care for me.'

Good luck!

[Stormster]

Just wondering do you think little girls start asking questions like this before little boys? I just noticed it was mostly girls you were all referring to.

(Please say yes LOL)

[HappyHopefulMommy]

My daughter is 8 and she first starting asking when she was about 5. And the "God put you there" worked for years. But about a year ago she questioned alot more. I think it was because we were preparing to adopt (failed match in end) and she was very curious about how he got in the birthmoms tummy. She was 7 and we decided we would rather her hear the whole truth from us than someone else. So we told her the whole truth. She knew private part names so it wasn't hard. Since then it hasn't come up. But if they will go for "daddy/birth daddy has a sperm and moms/birthmoms have an egg and when they come together it makes a baby", I would use that as long as possible. Abby loves the fact that she started out smaller than a freckle. Good luck!

[Oceans]

My sweet innocent 5y/o neice, who was foster-adopted at 1 years old, got in trouble at her private Catholic school for telling her peers about sex after she was asked why she doesn't look like her mommy and daddy. 'My tummy mommy and daddy had sex, but couldn't care for me.'

Hahahaha!! So I guess the lesson is that you have to tell this in a way she understands AND don't mind having her repeat in public (again and again).... Ya gotta love these kiddos!

[loveajax]

I am laughing b/c I remember when I was like 9 or 10, my mom sat me down and made me watch an ABC afterschool special, "My Mom's Having A Baby" which very vaguely explained conception and birth. My mom was soooo nervous thru the whole show and at the end said, "Do you have any questions...of course not, GOOD!"

I haven't planned the sex education piece yet....I would like to freeze DD now at age 3!

[KatiesEd-dad]

What a timely post. About 2 hours ago Katie and I were dining at Olive Garden (in celebration of no pee or poo accidents today) and we were having the conversation again about how she didn't grow in Mommy's tummy but grew in K's tummy. Then she asked me "How did I get out of K's tummy?". I just told her that she came out of K's vagina. Katie glanced down toward her crotch with her eyes as big as saucers and said "oh no!" It was hard not to crack up laughing. She has asked how she got in there before and I've explained to her that it takes a man and a woman to make a baby and that K and S made her and that she grew in K's tummy and then Momma and Ed-dad came to take her home. Now I guess that we can have the "vagina" addition to the story!

[srhbj]

Originally Posted by Celesyee

LOL We've prepared ourselves for the whole "tummy mommy" talk, but not how he got in her tummy. My sweet innocent 5y/o neice, who was foster-adopted at 1 years old, got in trouble at her private Catholic school for telling her peers about sex after she was asked why she doesn't look like her mommy and daddy. 'My tummy mommy and daddy had sex, but couldn't care for me.'

Good luck!

Oh my goodness....I'm in tears...how sweet that is. And it is so true that you never know what they will say. I personally used the "God blessed us with you and you grew in my tummy" for a long time. When our daughter was around 7 or 8, that no longer worked, and we had to have the complete discussion of where babies came from.

I'll never forget the day we had our discussion all my daughter said was "ew yuck". I never laughed so hard after she left the room. And I remember telling my husband, let's hope she continues to think that way for a long time. LOL.