Remind me what's age-appropriate birds & bees talk with 5 & 7 year olds?

[ourbabygirl]

We're reading one of the Little House spin-off books ("On the other side of the hill"), and in the chapter we read tonight, Rose asked how a baby got in Effie's tummy, and of course, DD asked the same thing afterward. :) Laura told her that she would find out when she's married, so I half-jokingly told DD (age 7) that's when she would find out, too. Then I told her it's kind of a long story and I'd tell her some night when we had more time.

I have the book "It's not the stork;" should I show/ read that with her, or is that too advanced? She's mature and can handle it, but I'm worried her 5 year old sibling will blab about it at preschool, which I don't want!

Any advice/ BTDT?

Thanks!

[nfowife]

Not too advanced. But I'd just ask her what she thinks happens and what she wants to know, and amswer her questions. Dont go into things she isn't asking about- just answer her questions.

[hillview]

My kids have known since age 5 or 6 that sperm comes out of the dad's penis and goes from the penis into the mommy's vagina and meets an egg and a baby is created. After that I'd just answer any questions.

[mikala]

I'd agree with the suggestion to ask her what she thinks happens and go from there. I'm pg and my 6 yo has been asking a ton of questions about this so we've gone into more detail with the "It's not the Stork book". I skipped over a couple sentences here or there that didn't seem as relevant but generally felt the message was on target for this age group. He seemed satisfied with my responses and doesn't seem to have focused on it much since then. I'm of the mindset that I'd rather my kids get an age-appropriate, factual knowledge of the appropriate names for body parts and basic scientific processes than a totally censored or inaccurate description like babies under cabbage leaves or the stork.

[maestramommy]

at that age we just go with answering their questions. First we started with "God put a baby in Mommy's tummy." Then when they asked for more specifics (like, DD3 who was 4 asked, "So did God poke a hole in your bellybutton and put a tiny baby in there?" we started with Mommy has an egg, and Daddy has a seed and when the two get together it starts a tiny baby. I think when the kids were 4 6 and 8 were when we started reading, "It's not the stork," to them.

[AnnieW625]

at that age we just go with answering their questions. First we started with "God put a baby in Mommy's tummy." Then when they asked for more specifics (like, DD3 who was 4 asked, "So did God poke a hole in your bellybutton and put a tiny baby in there?" we started with Mommy has an egg, and Daddy has a seed and when the two get together it starts a tiny baby. I think when the kids were 4 6 and 8 were when we started reading, "It's not the stork," to them.

Yes to the above although we have not read "It's Not the Stork", but this is same general philosophy we have taught our children. We started talking about it when they were 5.