Being a parent is never easy. It’s a 24/7 job that lasts for the rest of your life, and there’s no such thing as paid time off or taking a vacation from your responsibilities. As rewarding as being a mother or father can be, it certainly comes with its own unique set of challenges. Taking care of kiddos when they’re sick, teaching little ones how to be generous and kind humans and, of course, explaining the birds and the bees.
To learn more about this topic, we got in touch with Vicky Hall-Newman. Vicky is a mother, grandmother and the writer behind the blogs Miss Tilly and Me and The Little House by the Sea. She was also kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda about why it’s so challenging for parents to answer the age-old question: “Where do babies come from?”
“I think parents get embarrassed talking to their teens and pre-teens about where babies come from,” Vicky shared. “So they find it difficult to broach the subject. Finding the right time is key to successfully talking to your child about where babies come from.”
So what does this mom think is the best way to approach this uncomfortable topic? “I always bought a book when I was pregnant to show my younger children how babies were made, as it can be confusing when a parent is pregnant,” she noted.
But Vicky says it’s important to gauge how much you should explain to little ones. “Oversharing can scare them,” she warned.
We also wanted to know if there’s a specific age when kids should understand how exactly babies are made. “It depends on your child, because kids ask questions at different ages,” Vicky shared. “Kids are more curious when a sibling is on the way. Basically, if your child is old enough to ask the questions, they are old enough to learn about babies. But at a level they will understand.”
We were also lucky enough to get in touch with Lisa Hides, creator of I Hide From My Kids, to hear what she thinks about explaining topics like this.
"I've always been comfortable talking about these things with my kids but held back because I didn't want my kids to teach other kids if their parents weren't ready," she told Bored Panda. "I wonder if other parents hesitate for the same reason. We started with the ‘egg meets sperm’ aspect and hoped the questions would stop there. 'Who wants dessert!'"
Lisa also shared a funny anecdote from her son's preschool days. "He’s always been precocious. It was right when his sister was about to enter the world," she explained. "The daycare teacher asked him where babies come from during carpet time (risky move—not sure what she expected, the stork?!) and he announced: 'Some babies come from vaginas and others come from surgery.' She learned an important lesson that day. Everyone else did too."
So what is the best way to explain where babies come from? "I think we need to let our kids take the lead. Thank them for asking, so they know they can always come to us with difficult questions," Lisa shared. "I would check what they already know on the topic - then fill in the gaps with facts and proper terminology. Stick to the topic at hand, if you're an oversharer like me, it's best to enlist the help of a partner or a resource -- there are some amazing books out there to support this conversation."
