Where do Babies Come From???
On the way to the dentist office this afternoon to have Hannah's newly broken-in, 6-year molars sealed, the following chat took place:
Hannah: "How do they get in there?" (referring to babies in bellies)
Me: "Well.....Mommy and Daddy decide to put a baby in mommy's belly."
Hannah: "No mama, I mean How do babies get inside your belly?"
Me: "Well, when mommies and daddies love each other very much, they hug each other and something else very special happens to make a baby in mommy's belly."
Hannah, "But Mom, what special thing happens and how does the baby get in there?!?"
Me: "Well, Hannah, you're not quite old enough to understand yet how this happens, but don't worry, when you are, momma will tell you all about it, okay?"
Hannah: "Okay......I hug Liam sometimes momma, right?"
Me: "Hannah, don't worry, you can't make a baby just by hugging a boy!!"
This conversation began because we passed what I explained was a "boy" hobby shop (place that supports big, expensive toys I equate with testosterone). Hannah took my explanation as an open discussion of all things boy, including boyfriends, which led to a discussion of what a boyfriend meant to her babysitter Nikole compared to her own boy-friends from play group and school. I likened Nikole's situation to what Mommy and Daddy were before we got married. The reference to our wedding, led to a discussion of when she was born, which led to the above conversation - the mind of a 4 and a-half-year-old....is your head swimming yet?
I thought I had until at least 3rd grade or so before it even occurred to her to wonder how babies happened to be in my belly in the first place. I'm not really scared about the conversation, but I don't think my 4 year old needs to know the details just yet either. These kids, they're always surprising me!
Hannah: "How do they get in there?" (referring to babies in bellies)
Me: "Well.....Mommy and Daddy decide to put a baby in mommy's belly."
Hannah: "No mama, I mean How do babies get inside your belly?"
Me: "Well, when mommies and daddies love each other very much, they hug each other and something else very special happens to make a baby in mommy's belly."
Hannah, "But Mom, what special thing happens and how does the baby get in there?!?"
Me: "Well, Hannah, you're not quite old enough to understand yet how this happens, but don't worry, when you are, momma will tell you all about it, okay?"
Hannah: "Okay......I hug Liam sometimes momma, right?"
Me: "Hannah, don't worry, you can't make a baby just by hugging a boy!!"
This conversation began because we passed what I explained was a "boy" hobby shop (place that supports big, expensive toys I equate with testosterone). Hannah took my explanation as an open discussion of all things boy, including boyfriends, which led to a discussion of what a boyfriend meant to her babysitter Nikole compared to her own boy-friends from play group and school. I likened Nikole's situation to what Mommy and Daddy were before we got married. The reference to our wedding, led to a discussion of when she was born, which led to the above conversation - the mind of a 4 and a-half-year-old....is your head swimming yet?
I thought I had until at least 3rd grade or so before it even occurred to her to wonder how babies happened to be in my belly in the first place. I'm not really scared about the conversation, but I don't think my 4 year old needs to know the details just yet either. These kids, they're always surprising me!