Curious kids can get us into some pretty tricky situations. Ever been asked a question that’s made you laugh out loud, squirm, or genuinely stumped you altogether?
Then, there comes a time in every parent’s life when their child asks, “Where do babies come from?”
“Where did I come from?” and “how are babies made?” are big questions most parents can expect to face without warning from their kids.
Now new research, undertaken in May this year, suggests parents start readying their response for when their child turns six. According to the research, kids ask where babies come from at an average age of 5.7 – although 24% of respondents’ kids haven’t sprung the question just yet.
It seems this is a naturally inquisitive age, with most kids asking why they have to go to school around this point – although they’re typically over the age of six before they start asking how much things are worth, what you do for a living, and how much you earn.
It’s important we tell children the truth, considering their age. What works really well is reading books on specific subjects, together.
Another tip is to show your child pictures or videos of babies in their mummy’s tummy and let them ask questions as this supports bonding and builds trust. However, parents have different approaches to navigating this question.
comparethemarket.com spoke with mums and dads who’ve already encountered THE questions, to help prepare those yet to be caught off-guard by a quizzing on life’s biggest questions. And it seems early preparation could be the key – while six is the average age for springing the question, around 12% start wondering about the birth of babies from as young as four.
When faced with these flustered encounters, a resolute four in 10 parents say they answer their child openly and honestly. A third simply explain babies are born when two people love each other very much, while one in 10 say they’re picked up at the shop.
Parents also disclosed some of the other birth-related questions their kids have asked, from “If you chose me from birth, why didn’t you choose another baby?” to “Did we come from the moon?”. Another parent explained how her four-year-old daughter responded to part of an explanation with the adorable “Oh yes, when I was a little seed?”.
It’s no surprise then, that kids start to wonder about their origins from a young age. So how can parents best manage these sometimes tricky questions?
It’s really important to tell kids the truth about this question – but for now, it could be something as simple as “when mummy and daddy love each other, sometimes they’re blessed with a baby”.
