Birds and the Bees - Lawrence,KS

When my daughter was 3 I had her littel borhter so she began asking about it. Many friends were pregnant so she was fascinated from about age 3-5 . About the same age I told her all about it in a very child friendly way - she'd even pretend to have a baby!

I told her that God has made women with a womb - a special place to babies to grow from a very tiny size (I didn't bother with the cells dividing - I just showed her a tiny dot on a page) until the baby is the size of a regular baby. (If you know someone who just had a baby I would say "like the size of baby Timmy".) I told my daughter that when the baby is grown enough and her eyes can see, and her lungs can breathe, then the muscles in mommy's womb beign to push the baby out in to the world. I told her that there's a special place where the baby comes out - it's not where we make urine, and it's not where we poop - but there's a special opening where babies come out when they're ready. Only women have a womb and a birth canal - men don't have these parts. I also told her that while little girls have the parts they don't work until they are grown up - jsut like boobies begin to grow when they begin to grow up. I explained that they begin to work when they're about the age of (fill in the name of a teenage girl). I as very sure to warn her that girls don't just have babies by surprise - I explained that a mom & dad have to love each other very much and when they are showing eachother how much they love eachother the dad does something like planting a seed when they're ready to make a baby. Soemtimes the baby begins to grow - and sometimes there's no baby there at all!

By the time you get to this your child will be bored and you'll be done for now. Don't be surpised if she asks you in a loud voice all about the womb and birth canal one day while on line at the grocery store or bank - which is why I use those terms and not uterus and vagina. I just think they're more PG and still reasonably accurate. I've heard too many little voices asking mommy when the baby was going to come out of her vagina.... ...and it's always when there's a lull in the conversation and it's really quiet and that little voice just booms across the room!!!

Have fun and good luck - this is such fun age!

She's not asking about sex, but rather basics. My kids are 5, 4, and 2 and they know that when a momy and daddy get married God puts a baby in the mommy's tummy when he thinks the time is right. They know that some babies come out of mommy's bottoms and some mommy's have to have their belly's cut (similar to gutting a deer) to get the baby out. (sorry ladies my husband is a hunter and my 5 year old helps with the gutting so that was something that he could relate to). My 4 year old asked if I had to get my bottom cut so the baby could come out and I told her no, but that some mommy's do. My 5 year old asked if he got poop on his head when he came out. (he doesn't know women have more then 1 opening) and I told him no. Really kids are just asking BASIC questions. Answer honestly

My son also asked me this question when he was 5, maybe 6. I just told him that daddy gave mommy a seed called an embryo and it grew inside of me until it was ready to come out of my vagina. He then asked, "But how did daddy give you the seed?" I told him I will tell him when he is older, and he accepted that. At 5 1/2, I would NOT tell your daughter any more than that! Their innocence is so important!

My almost 4 year old son has asked a bit about the baby being born. He knows we have to wait until the baby is big enough to be okay on his own (he is too small right now), but he has asked me and I think my vague answers have added up for him.

If you ask him, he will tell you that mommy has to push the baby out. If he is using the bathroom, he will show you about how he thinks I will do this (you can imagine what he is really doing). I have told him that mommy will be going to the hospital and my doctor will help with that. My guess is that because when he was first toilet training I would tell him to push when he was trying to go, he just assumes that I will be pushing the baby out somewhere down there, too.

I would keep it pretty basic, only use body part words that you have to use (for example, if she ends up curious about breastfeeding, use the word "breast"). I would make it clear that the baby has to grow big and strong first so she isn't just waiting for him or her to drop out of there. I am also not sure about how one would explain this to a girl. I honestly would probably bring it up with my pediatrician and just ask what is most appropriate and will make sense for her. I'm a chicken that way. =)

I think Allison answered this very well and when my kids asked for more information I would only answer what they were asking, they don't always mean as much as we assume they mean. I would always be honest though. Years ago kids on farms had the opportunity to see births and it was just part of life. I think it's how you present it and if as a part of life and how God made it most kids accept it fine and go on their way. I wouldn't go into any of the 'sex' end with the 5-6 yr. old yet though. This question seems more about the birth part. Don't be nervous but just let her understand that this is a normal wonderful event and that God made it this way and she'll accept it the way you present it....beautiful.

My daughter was 6 when she began asking. I told her, at first, God gave us babies to love. But when kids kept talking at school and she pressed the issue... about this time she was 7.... I sat her down and told her everything about the birds and the bees. She is now 8 and I am glad I did tell her. She has a better understanding of how kittens come about and etc... My son, however, is almost 11 and I haven't had the talk with him. His Daddy has been deployed for three years, with a small break in between, and I am really looking for him to tell him. My son has said some things that makes me think he doesn't know much about it and told me he doesn't want me talking about it. hehe

Anyway, I am not sure how much info you should put out to a 5 year old. But I would say something about when a man and woman love each other very much and GET MARRIED (stress the married part) then God will give them a baby to love. And this baby has to grow in the Mommy's tummy until he/she is big enough and healthy enough to live without the Mommy's tummy. Of course, you can call it womb. Nothing wrong with that.

Good Luck