How to Explain Where Babies Come From to a 6 Year Old
Ok my 6-year-old is asking about where babies come from...
(41 Posts)
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 20:59:52
And I told her they grow in mummy's tummy. She then asked how they got in my tummy and I (to my shame) dodged the question.
She is soo young! Is she too young? I was thinking about buying a book for her - does anyone know any good ones?
I suspect this may be coming from playground talk as apparently two girls in another class cornered a boy and asked him to 'sex them' just before end of term!
Do you think it's better she has the facts? Or should I just let it go? I always thought I would be cool about this but when it comes to it - I admit it - I'm a coward.
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:03:00
Tell her you coward! 
Seriously, 6 is a good age to explain
Dd1 got the facts a year or so ago when she asked about what tampons were for... sort of led on from there
I'm pg now so there was No Way Out of explaining...
You don't have to give every detail away. DD seems quite happy with the more biological side, for now (she knows that the sperm from the man meets the egg in the woman but not exactly how it travels there)
I got a great tip from MN: if they're old enough to ask, they're old enough to be given an answer
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:03:46
'Drip-feeding' info is better than a dull-on talk, IME
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:04:09
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:04:22
nigglewiggle Tue 20-Jul-10 21:05:21
DD4 asked me about how the baby gets in the mummy's tummy. I warbled on about mummy making an egg, a bit of daddy mixing with the egg and baby growing in tummy.
Thankfully she didn't ask me to explain how daddy mixes a bit of him with mummy 
.
KristinaM Tue 20-Jul-10 21:05:47
actually shes a bit old IMHO
just tell her the basics
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:06:16
What are you worried about specifically?
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:07:33
You see she's relentless. She will not rest until she has every detail. And then she will tell everyone else.
So you just said that daddy's sperm mixes with mummy's egg - but not the ahem..mechanics of it? And they accepted that?
KristinaM Tue 20-Jul-10 21:08:40
IME 6yo are much more interested in babies ( how they grow inside, develop, are born) than sex
my 6yo likes books with pictures of a baby in utero at different stages
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:08:57
A bit old??
So some of her classmates will know already? In that case I need to talk to her, don't I.
<glances at DP watching TV..wonders if she can make him do it>
KristinaM Tue 20-Jul-10 21:10:04
so distract her with endless detail about pregnancy, birth and breast feeding then
y'know, like on mumsnet
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:10:07
DD is the same, Kristina
The sex bit isn't of interest to them. DD was interested in the same way she was interested in how the body makes poo
Or how a plant grows
Etc
nigglewiggle Tue 20-Jul-10 21:10:32
Yes she was quite happy (but she is 4). I paused, and she changed the subject, not in an embarrassed way, just in a "oh right, what are we having for tea" kind of way. I am sure that if I had dodged it she would have gone on and on about it.
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:10:33
Yes - a factual bpook about pregnancy and gestation would be a good idea. She would like that..
NoahAndTheWhale Tue 20-Jul-10 21:11:28
DS is 6 and has been gradually finding out about how babies are made. Has known about periods for a few years. DD is 4 and has learned at the same time.
I did explain recently to both of them although think only DS took it in much how the sperm get to the egg and he was rather incredulous .
Would say that by 6 I would assume most children would have some knowledge of the facts of life.
CaptainKirksNipples Tue 20-Jul-10 21:11:44
I can send my 3 year old DD round if you'd like?
All you need to say is that men have seeds and ladies have eggs and when they want to have a baby the man puts the seeds inside, they are called sperm and they look like little tadpoles, and they all have a race to get to the egg. The winner is the one that gets there first and it grows into a baby (DS loved that bit he is sooo competitive). Mummy has a pee hole, a poo hole and a special hole where babies come out.
mollymawk Tue 20-Jul-10 21:13:32
I've answered DS1's question as they have ome up from the age of about 4 but it's only very recently (he is just 7) that he thought to ask about how the father managed to get the seed to meet the egg. I explained and he said "Yuk" and then probably forgot all about it.
CaptainKirksNipples Tue 20-Jul-10 21:14:03
If she likes pregnancy then you should let her watch that show about the animal pregnancies, it had an elephant and a dolphin from what I remember, my DC loved it. Agree with others that you just need to tell them little bits and not have a big talk. Why don't you go for a walk or an ice cream?
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:14:31
DP's just muttered 'buy a book,' an wandered out
smallorange Tue 20-Jul-10 21:16:00
Good idea Captainkirk.
I need to get a grip. She has two little sisters so she must have questions.
notnowbernard Tue 20-Jul-10 21:16:15
I let mine watch an episode of 'One Born Every Minute' (one of the first ones - straightforward non-intervention one - the one with the lady who had her teenage son with her)
They loved it
And we've looked at pictures of developing baby etc
And diagrams of the conception stage
Poledra Tue 20-Jul-10 21:18:18
I got this book for my 4-yo DD1 when I was pg with DD3. She enjoyed it, though the bit on where your food goes and pooing probably got more attention..........
llareggub Tue 20-Jul-10 21:19:10
My 3 year old DS is always asking me about babies and where they come from. He answer all of this questions and each time he goes over the same old ground with an additional killer question.
I used to try and dodge but now I tell him straight but don't make a big deal about it.
BeenBeta Tue 20-Jul-10 21:25:55
DS age 8 and 10 sort of asked in a round about way after a visit to teh doctors so I told them about sperm fusing with the egg and it growing in the womb.
DS1 immediatley compared it with how flowers get pollinated with sperm being like pollen in a flower. After that they both lost interest and asked what was for tea.
There is a lot of 'playground talk' though so I just think it is better to hear it from me. DW is very squemish though and has firmly delegated the whole job to me.
I talk about hang good relationships with girls quite a bit too - although not linked to sperm and eggs just yet. Just about friendship and respect.
They get 'the talk' in Yr 6 at school as well as for some reason a lot of the girls are on the 'boyfriend' track by then.
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How to Explain Where Babies Come From to a 6 Year Old
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