Gulp
So yesterday, I was watching A Baby Story on tv. The boys were playing & had their own things on other tv's. Ben comes in and asks what I'm watching.
"This lady having a baby" I reply as I reach for the remote.
"Why is it a bad show?" He says as he notes me changing the channel.
"It's not a bad show, I just don't know how appropriate it is for a 5 yr. old little boy."
"But I want to watch it." As he plops down on the couch.
Ooookkkkaaaaaayyyyy. So I try to make light of it with him. We laugh as she does her breathing and noises. It's a water birth so you can't see anything at all.
As soon as the baby comes out I smile at him and say, " Look at the little baby!!!"
Ben smiles back and says, "where did the baby come out of?"
Gulp! "What?"
"Well, they didn't cut a big hole in her belly and take the baby out, so how did the baby come out?"
Deep breath. Honesty is the best policy here...So, I tell him, as basically as I can where the baby comes out.
"Oh." He says then he walks away as if I had told him that ice comes from the freezer or something.
Later at dinner, I say to Luke, "isn't it exciting that there's a baby in my belly?"
"Yeah, but how does the baby come out?"
"What?" I ask, freaking out inside. How could this be happening twice in one day?!?! With Ethan they didn't ask any of these questions. Where is all of this coming from?!?!
"How does the baby get out of your belly?"
I look at Ben, "do you remember Ben?"
He covers his face with his hands and says, "I can't remember"
So here it goes, I tell Luke how the baby comes out. He says "Oh" and moves on. I guess I had to face this question eventually but I wasn't expecting it right then. I consoled myself that "how does the baby come out" is a much easier question than,"but HOW does God put the baby in your belly?" Right?
Sheryl Bane
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Reader Comments (19)
Never an easy thing to explain to a child...
We will all face this subject sooner or later!
Lori
It took me about 30 minutes or so, and my 4-year old smiled and nodded throughout the discussion.
Days later, he sat close to me and said, "So babies come out from tummies. Like poop, right?"
Have a great weekend.
Mike
<a href="http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/">http://somethingaboutparenting.typepad.com/
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Steph
"Mom, here's the stud. What's he doing?"
Oh, dear. How to explain? How to explain?
"They're breeding the horses, honey."
"What does that mean?"
(Oh, dear.)
"Well, they're mates. It takes a mare and a stallion to make a foal, just as it takes a mom and a dad to make a baby."
(hold breath, 2, 3, 4...and? Success. No further questions,...for now).
Blessings,
~Toni~
Urrrggh. Lots of Love. Um, wellll....
Since I haven't had to do that yet, I can fondly remember learning that babies didn't come out of belly buttons but ELSE-where, and that made me think, 'I'm never having a baby. I'll just adopt.'