This is like the several hundredth time B has asked me this question. He's been asking me this question since he was two. I think today was number several hundred. I've so far been successful at redirecting his train of thought. He was watching Makenna eat lunch today and marveled over the fact that I was no longer lactating. He wanted to know why. Then he wanted to know how I could get the lactation going again. And then he added that he wanted me to have more babies for our family. This is where the infamous "how do you make babies" question came in. I took a quick detour and asked him how many babies he wanted to have in our family.
B: "I want four boy babies and thirty girl babies."
Me: "Thirty girl babies. Really."
B: "Yes, thirty." Small pause.
B: "Actually, that might be too many, because I don't know how we'll get to Church. We'd need lots of seats and we'd have to go really early or something."
Me: "Right. Good call."
I'm not sure the whole getting to Church thing would have been my first deterrent, but I appreciated the practicality. B is all about the logistics.
So. Friends, family and fellow bloggers, how would/do you answer this question? B is 5. A very precocious and detail-oriented 5-year-old who likes to get technical. And I suppose that at some point in time, I'm going to have to give him a straight answer.
P.S. No new babies in the near or distant future.
7 comments:
I am dreading that question already! I have no advice for you. What did your parents do for you? I don't think mine did anything. In second grade a helpful boy passed around the "S" encyclopedia, opened to a certain page, that's how i learned.
haha. very helpful! my mom checked out books from the library... i can't remember how old i was. maybe 7 or 8? it was pretty mortifying even then...
alright people, don't be afraid to leave comments! now is not the time to get all shy about it. i need answers.
Okay, your blog is so cute! About the babies...I found a great book called "Amazing You" by Dr. Gail Saltz. It is a simple book and my kids really like it! Makena was very interested in where the babies are made and Cam is interested in the differences between girls and boys and this book covered it all. Very good for ages 3-8. It has helped our whole family get more comfortable calling things by their right names and stopping the "silly/ambiguous" names/terms. I definitely would rather have my kids learn from me and feel comfortable asking me questions than be scared or hear things from their friends. That was long! Email/call me if you have questions!
Noelle - where is Bruce? i say, have him field this tough/delicate question. is this the lazy way out? i don't think so, b/c i am sure Esther will wait for me to give the answers of the lifetime.
I think this could be a great open to set the stage of the "ideal" way to have kids. you love a girl (in his case), they get married in the temple and decide to have children. Will that ambiguous answer satisfy B? probably not, but you can then deflect to "would you rather want a baby or a car?" i am sure the latter will be his answer.
betsy, this is why i love you. i've got questions. you've got answers. i'm going to order that book right now.
and sherm... dude. seriously. you're a nut. give esther and the kids a hug for me.
Ahh! They age old question. Wow! Good luck with that one! It's a delicate balance between not telling them too early, but telling them before someone else does. We're just going to keep Shannon in the house until she's 30. Let me know how the gas milage is on that 40+ passenger van you'll need with 30 more girls.
Yeah, I was going to say ask Betsy, because she just went through this. So I think I'll be needing to order that book too!!! Aaahhh these kids!!! Good luck!
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