fairfarmhand Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 This is a great rule of thumb. Farms usually produce healthy, well-balanced kids. Farms are also full of animal sex. If it's something the might be seen on the farm, don't sweat it. Funny story. My dh and I ran off in opposite directions on a Saturday morning. He ended up having my oldest dd with him when he took our bull in for a breeding soundness exam. (they stick an electrical thing up the bulls behind which stimulates the prostate which makes the bull.....er.....give a sample) Yeah. My 9 yo dd saw THAT! I told my dh that HE can handle the questions that come up. Another time we went to the state fair with a whole group of non-farm kids. My dd came around the corner at the pig barn and hollered at the top of her lungs . "Wow, Mom, Look at the size of the SACK on that HOG!" Then she proceeded to explain to the rest of the group how they could tell the boy pigs from the girls. She was 8 at the time. As were most of her friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 You guys would probably get a kick out of Julia Sweeney's experience with "The Talk" and animals mating: :lol::lol::lol: OMG, I had to stop drinking the coffee I'm laughing so hard. Yes, that's exactly how it happens. Everyone has a different spin, but yeah, the markers are there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 We wouldn't censor that at any age -- either a kid is too young to really know what they're doing, or the kid is old enough to start asking questions (which would be the natural time for us to explain how animals reproduce). I don't think animals mating is gross, dirty, or traumatizing for young eyes... I have yet to hear someone explain precisely what it is about it that is inappropriate for children. To me, learning about mating rituals is as important and often as fascinating as their migratory patterns or their eating habits or what have you. :iagree: Our in-laws have cows so our dd7 has known about mating for some time. (She passed the stage where we could tell her they were "hugging" years ago.. LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 :iagree: Our in-laws have cows so our dd7 has known about mating for some time. (She passed the stage where we could tell her they were "hugging" years ago.. LOL) we had a friend tell his kids the bull was playing wheelbarrow with the cows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abigail4476 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 (edited) We wouldn't censor that at any age -- either a kid is too young to really know what they're doing, or the kid is old enough to start asking questions (which would be the natural time for us to explain how animals reproduce). I don't think animals mating is gross, dirty, or traumatizing for young eyes... I have yet to hear someone explain precisely what it is about it that is inappropriate for children. To me, learning about mating rituals is as important and often as fascinating as their migratory patterns or their eating habits or what have you. :iagree: As far as kids copying things in their "play", [per post #12] that's the case for all children--they act out things that interest them, but usually in an innocuous way. I suppose if you see your child try to have s3x with a grasshopper, you might have to explain to him that it doesn't work like that, and that he isn't old enough to make any babies yet anyway, let alone grasshopper/human babies--but really, what's threatening about THAT conversation???? :D I would way more horrified with a parent gasping and covering the eyes of their children to keep them seeing two horses going at it than I would at the sight of the animals themselves. Smile, take it in stride, comment idly that, "Well, I suppose there might be a baby horse around here a few months from now!" and move along. Our kids have seen dogs, horses, cows and animals at the zoo mating (more than once on each account), and they aren't traumatized or overly obsessed with sexuality. If anything, it seems to make it less interesting to them. Edited June 23, 2011 by Abigail4476 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 I have a book about animal sex that is fascinating to read, in a train wreck kind of way. I don't read it to my kids since it is written for adults - and I'm not sure I can read aloud the words, "detachable swimming penis" with a straight face. http://www.amazon.com/How-Animals-Have-Sex-Reproductive/dp/B000FILILW/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308796241&sr=1-3 We have a book called Making Animal Babies that's for kids, and it's quite good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Thank you for all the stuff to think to about. I think the main reason I'm concerned is that almost everything ds4 watches ends up in his play, and I really don't want him acting that out. I'll try again in a year... I was going to say that probably won't happen, but then, out of nowhere, my DS7 decided to sit down on top of DD1 and say, "Look, Mom! I'm hatching an egg!" (And he had no idea I was reading this thread.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 we had a friend tell his kids the bull was playing wheelbarrow with the cows The story I heard was LeapFrog and he just can't get up and over. :lol: I don't mind the occasional mating on the nature shows, and we tell our kids they are making babies, but I must say, when they just keep showing animals mating, well, like DH has said, you have to wonder about the producers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magdalene Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 You guys would probably get a kick out of Julia Sweeney's experience with "The Talk" and animals mating: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaners Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Our zoo made a note for parents when the rhinos were mating last year because it had the potential to scare children. I could see that possibility with such large, loud animals in close proximity. Like a previous poster stated, I've seen programs that did go into an inappropriate level of detail for young children. That wasn't the target audience. I don't think "never censoring" is appropriate for my own family. I'm not going to expose my young children to something that will frighten them just because it happens in nature. Unfortunately, I'd also be worried about my children acting out any kind of animal mating in their play. I've seen people post about similar behavior on messageboards. Immediately readers jump to the conclusion that the child has been abused and is acting out in response to that. I would be terrified that people would assume that and report me for some non-existent issue that would tear my family apart while we straightened things out. (run-on sentence) We do have animals that my children see mating. Hello, ducks! I don't gasp and cover any eyes. I also don't sit and explain every detail every time it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Would you consider that to be "G" ? Would you be okay with a 4 year old watching it? At what age would you be okay with it? Sure. Animals mate. It's not icky, unusual, or pornographic. My dd started watching shows with animals mating when she was three. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted June 23, 2011 Author Share Posted June 23, 2011 Yes, it was Microcosmo. For the record, I did not gasp and cover his eye. I said the ladybugs were giving a piggy-back ride and the snails were hugging. I'm not trying to keep my ds4 ignorant, and I do not want to pass on the idea that s3x is bad. I guess I'm just not ready for those conversations. And I really don't want him acting it out. He knows animals eat other animals, and once "feed" his stuffed fish and stuffed eel to his stuffed sheep :001_rolleyes: I was inappropriately exposed to adult "relations" at a very young age. I guess I just want to keep him him from thinking about it as long as possible. Thank you for all the responses. The point about the kids growing up on the farm is well taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My 5 year old was yelling, "Snail love! Mom check out the slimy snail love!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My 5 year old was yelling, "Snail love! Mom check out the slimy snail love!" :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoGal Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 :lol: Dd was just playing "dung beetle" and pushing around her ball of dung (a balloon). I guess the fear of your kids acting things out is not unfounded! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 :lol: Dd was just playing "dung beetle" and pushing around her ball of dung (a balloon). I guess the fear of your kids acting things out is not unfounded! :tongue_smilie: Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My dc used to be "protozoa" and would reproduce by splitting. They'd also surround their food and absorb it;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emeraldjoy Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 My 5 year old was yelling, "Snail love! Mom check out the slimy snail love!" love this!!! made me giggle a lot!! e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 :001_huh: Please tell me this didn't really happen. I have to admit to having laughed a bit loudly a couple of times... but thinking back on it... if the conversation *really* happened this way with an 8 year old... well... it's a little horrifying. (And terrifying. Please tell me my child won't ask these very specific questions. And please tell me I won't lead her right into that abyss.) Yeah, that is pretty much how it goes. It didn't all happen in one day, but over a period of time. And the gay stuff came up at the dinner table when we had guests over, they've never forgotten it :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Our kids have seen dogs, horses, cows and animals at the zoo mating (more than once on each account), and they aren't traumatized or overly obsessed with sexuality. If anything, it seems to make it less interesting to them. :iagree: We've had adults pass by our farm on bicycles, see our ponies doing their thing, and avert their eyes while pedaling much more quickly than they had been - no kids (except one of mine) around. We still laugh about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) We wouldn't censor that at any age -- either a kid is too young to really know what they're doing, or the kid is old enough to start asking questions (which would be the natural time for us to explain how animals reproduce). I don't think animals mating is gross, dirty, or traumatizing for young eyes... I have yet to hear someone explain precisely what it is about it that is inappropriate for children. To me, learning about mating rituals is as important and often as fascinating as their migratory patterns or their eating habits or what have you. I agree completely. It is what it is - the reason for existence, so why is it inappropriate? The Julia Sweeney monologue is hilarious! Edited June 24, 2011 by nd293 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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