Talking about reproduction and anatomy with a 6 year old

[KristenR]

I'm sure there are a gazillion threads on this but I can't pull anything up on the search.

 

My 6 year old has been asking question about the differences in boys and girls. I want to give her more detailed information without overwhelming her (or freaking my modest-self out) I realize she should probably learn the real terms for private areas and such and maybe briefly go over how babies are made. <p>

I saw a thread on Facebook with this book called

[Halcyon]

I just gave him the facts. Sperm, egg, pe@is, va@i@a, embryo, fetus, baby, birth. All stated in a matter of fact tone. The only issue now is that HE considers this information matter of fact, non-titillating and has no issue bringing it up in conversation with others. Right after he learned it, he was talking to my grandma and she mentioned that one of his cousins was pregnant. And he said"so i guess he out his pe@is in her va@ina then, huh?" whe. I said we only talk about this stuff with family, he said "i know, you told me that! Gramdma IS family!!":huh: :huh:

[TheReader]

Flip-Flap-Body-Book is a good book for that age. Goes over digestion, germs, reproduction and such in a very kid friendly (yet using the real terms) manner.

[Laura Corin]

I just followed wherever they went. I answered every question simply, then offered more information if asked. A sample conversation might be:

 

- Boys and girls are different. They look different.

- Yes, boys have a.... and girls have a.....

- Why are they different?

- They have to be different so that people can make babies.

- How does that happen?

- A man puts a kind of seed, called a sperm, into a woman's body, where it joins up with a tiny egg. Together they make a baby. That's why many children look a bit like mum and a bit like dad.

- How does the seed get to the egg?

- The man puts his.... into the woman's.... and the sperm swims to the egg. Sperm look a little bit like tiny tadpoles

 

If you make it incremental and simple then it shouldn't overwhelm. You stop when the child stops asking questions and start again when the questions start. One of my children wanted to know an awful lot at age 4; the other didn't ask much until he was about 8.

 

Laura