Question:
My nine year old comes to me with her health encyclopedia pointing to sperm, and asks " Now mom, exactly how does this form a baby"? I wasn't prepared and told her we would talk about it tonight. Any advice for mom and a 9 year old daughter? Lydia
Answer:
Dear Lydia,
I know this kind of question seems kind of scary at first because
you're probably wondering how much to tell her. It's also a sign that
she is growing up, and you definitely want to be the one to talk with
her about the birds and the bees. The first thing I can advise is to
relax. It's good that your daughter is exploring and feels comfortable
coming to you for answers. If it were my daughter, I would simply say:
"The
sperm that you see in this picture comes from a daddy, and a mommy has
an egg. Because mommies and daddies love each other, when they make
love, a daddy's sperm is transferred to the mommy. Sometimes that
sperm swims and meets the egg. When that happens, a baby is made."
That
may be enough to satisfy her interest. But she might also have more
questions. Like how does the sperm get transferred to the mommy?
Don't be afraid to tell her the truth. Just explain the organic
differences between men and women and the very basics of sex, always
stressing that sex is reserved for mommies and daddies that love each
other. She may squeal, giggle, or even say "that's gross". That's all
normal. If the conversation goes much deeper than you are willing to
go for her age, just tell her you can talk about that in more detail
when she gets a little older.
Hope this helps!
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