Comments on: Labour and kids: to sugar-coat or tell the truth?

By: Carie

Carie — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 08:01:57 +0000

We’ve had the same question from Kitty (who was about 3.5 at the time) and I told here that bodies were very clever and that the baby had a built in way out that was not my bottom but was quite near and when the time came the baby would know what to do, and that she and her sister were born that way, and she seemed quite happy with that. I’m just relieved we haven’t got to the ‘how did the baby get into your tummy’ question yet to be honest!

By: Catherine

Catherine — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 20:38:10 +0000

A few days after I told Sarah the truth about her forthcoming sister, I caught her on her bed doing a self delivery of Tiny Tears. She was very matter of fact about it all…”I’m having a baby too, mummy.” If only it were that simple and that painless!!

By: Momma Mojo (Zara)

Momma Mojo (Zara) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 07:55:48 +0000

We had middle kid at home when Eldest was 4.5yrs old. I figured that I’d have to talk to her about it before baby made an appearance and when I asked her she wasn’t interested.
Later on (after middle kid arrived) I found out that it was because she knew that babies exploded out of your belly button and that is why they cried, because belly buttons stink. I explained to her, as full as I could without going to far for her age. I used one of our biology books and she nodded, laugh and asked me if I was sure about this.

This time she was 7. When I got home from hospital, got settled with a cup of tea and sat down she asked –

‘So Mum, does your virginia hurt now? Is it back together?’ LOL.

I’ve tried to be truthful with any questions they ask, I hope that by being open about things they won’t get any nasty shocks, take on too much misinformation from their friends when they get older and aren’t afraid of birth. ( yes, I dream big!)

By: SouthwarkBelle

SouthwarkBelle — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 21:06:03 +0000

That sounds like my daughter! When I was pregnant again she asked if she had been in my tummy when I was in granny’s tummy. I explained that the egg that made her was, although I’m a little concerned that she now thinks the entire future of the human race exists in her overies like an infinite Russian doll.

For the birth we tried to explain both methods as I was having a c section but that version seems to have stuck more . Just going to let that go for a while.

By: Hannah - Budding Smiles

Hannah - Budding Smiles — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 21:03:17 +0000

Personally, but without being a mother of a 4 year old, I think I’d have done exactly the same thing! Better to find out from Mummy than playground chat isn’t it? Great post, makes me think I’ll appreciate the days before talking starts!!xx

By: Amy Ransom

Amy Ransom — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 20:58:06 +0000

Love this post Molly. 4 year old asked me the same question a while back. I said simply ‘it comes out of your minky.’ She said ‘are you kidding me? Are you KIDDING me?’

So I think I handled it a lot worse than you. Your explanation was spot on.

But no. You can’t stop them gossiping with their friends!

By: Graham Miller

Graham Miller — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 13:24:48 +0000

IMHO the truth is always the best way – as long as it’s framed in a way they can understand. And their level of interest and age will also dictate how much detail you need to go into. I’m stay-at-home-Dad to three boys and we had interesting conversations when some friends came over who are married lesbians with two children. “So, if you need a mum and a dad to make a baby, how come two mums made a baby?” I explained that they needed to borrow a seed from a man to make a baby, but they’d bring it up as two mums, and that satisfied their curiosity.

Also, if you lie to them now, you can guarantee they’ll memorise it and use it against you much later when they learn how it really works!

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:13:37 +0000

Pleased to hear there are no rules – I think I had a similar reaction to your eldest when my own mum told me about how my sister would be born!

By: Molly

Molly — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:13:00 +0000

Not my finest moment!

By: Toddler Slave

Toddler Slave — Tue, 24 Jun 2014 07:46:32 +0000

Hahahaha love this post! Kids’ minds are amazing aren’t they?! I would have done exactly the same! Children can handle the truth a lot better than we give them credit for! I remember a little girl at nursery, who was 4 years old, told me she had eggs inside her which is where her babies would come from- because she’d asked her mum where babies had come from and her mum had told the truth- she wasn’t freaked out or anything- very matter a fact.
Good luck with the birth! Hope your tuppy stretches good for you! X