Birds and the Bees

Unfortunately, this post is about exactly what you're thinking!! I had to explain you know what to Mary Frances last week - in much more detail than I would have liked to. But, I had already gotten out of it three or four times. It was inevitable.

I think having boys AND girls in the family just brings up these types of conversations more than those with just boys or just girls. You know, they do notice the differences!

Anyway...the story you're waiting for...we have a book called the Flip Flap Body Book that explains how the human body works. It talks all about the digestive system, the senses, etc. It also talks about how babies develop in utero. We've had the book for several years, but it has just now sparked some interest. We read it a few weeks ago, and the kids learned that a sperm and egg have to meet to make a baby and then all about how the baby develops inside the mommy. There is no indication as to how the sperm and egg get together!

So, Mary Frances and I were alone in the van riding home talking about when she was a baby in my tummy. She said something about the sperm and egg meeting when she became a baby and how that made her a girl (the "female" sperm). Then a pause...and my heart sank. I knew it was coming, and my policy has always been that I will tell the truth if asked but only as much as is needed.

So, she said, "Hey! How do those little things that look like tadpoles get inside to the egg?"

I stalled every way I could think of, and then finally said, "well, the daddy has to put them in there." So, of course, she asked, "How does he do that?"

I stalled some more, even trying what has worked before..."It's really gross. Are you sure you want to know?" She did.

So, I finally said, "When a man and woman get married, they have sex."

And of course she asked, "What's that?"

"Well, are you sure you want to know? It really is gross!"

"Yes. No. Yes. I do."

So, I just blurted it out..."The man puts his penis in the woman's vagina."

"Ewww..."

Long pause....and a very concerned question..."Will that happen to me one day?"

"Yes it will. See, that's a good reason to not worry about getting married."

So, she says, "Yeah, but the main reason is because I don't want my tummy cut open!" (That's because she learned about C-Sections last year when everyone was pregnant!)

So, we had a discussion about how this is a very private discussion and she is welcome to ask me questions, but she promised me she would not tell anyone at school. I told her that their parents did not want to talk to them about this! I also emphasized the importance of being married and how God said that sex is only for husbands and wives.

So a few days later, Thomas makes a comment at bedtime and I look at Mary Frances and say, "I told you not to tell anyone." So she says, "but he's my brother!! I didn't tell anyone else. I promise!"

So, I ask Thomas if he has any questions, and he looks at me a little embarrassed but very inquisitive and says, "How does it work?"

I said, "Well Mary Frances obviously explained it to you. How do you think it works?"

"I just thought you got married and slept with each other for a month of maybe a year and then you had a baby!"

So, I said, "How did you think the sperm got to the egg?"

His answer was, "I just thought it was magic!"

So, then we have a little family discussion about sex and how it is only for husbands and wives. We also talked about privacy, and how we need to close the door when we use the bathroom, get dressed, etc.
So to end the discussion Thomas suggests that mommy and daddy should do it again so we could have another baby! This is just way too early to be talking about this stuff...but I'm glad they learned it from me!