So I read a thought-provoking post over on memyselfandkids today.
This dad of two was writing about a conversation he had with his son about girl body parts. Very funny. I could just feel his discomfort in his writing. You should read it.
I thought he handled the conversation pretty well. It’s a tough one. At least he steered the conversation away from more questions.
Because I have a boy and a girl, the penis/vagina conversation happened in my house about six months ago when my son first learned the word “penis” and discovered that his sister didn’t have one. Fun times. (insert eye rolling here)
He has since made it his mission in life to confirm who has one and who doesn’t.
While I change his diaper, we play a little game that he has dubbed “Peeenasss”, which he says in a very high-pitched squeal.
It goes something like this:
Little Bro lying on the change table. Mommy in mid-diaper change.
LB looks up and says, “Mommy have peeenasss? Nooooo.”
He continues, “Daddy have peeenasss? Yessss.”
Then, “Poppy have peeeenasss? Yessss.”
“Emily have peeenasss? Noooo.”
And so on.
He laughs uncontrollably after each declaration.
And sometimes, just for fun, he mixes them up.
“Mommy have peeenasss? Yessss.”
“Luke have peeenasss? Noooo.”
And he nearly busts a gut laughing about it.
It’s really cute… right now.
It’s really cute…at home.
It’s really embarrassing standing in line behind an elderly couple at the grocery store.
Repeat parenthood mantra: This is just a phase. It too shall pass.
You have good taste!
That is sooooo fuuny! if I heard a kid doing this at the store, I would laugh.
I would too, but that elderly couple didn’t :S
Don’t you hate when people whose kids older act as though their kids perfect growing up? My — would never do that. Pleeeeease!
I know!
Here’s a thought about that conversation from a non-parent, but someone who spent most of her adult life working with children and who has a five-year-old brother who asks these kinds of questions, too.
I know questions like this can be embarrassing to answer, but that’s only because we have grown up learning to be embarrassed. And by interrogating the reasons why the boy was asking about girl parts instead of just answering the question directly, dad is showing his discomfort and teaching the boy that he should feel uncomfortable about asking about sexual body parts. It made me a little sad when I read that the boy got quiet and whispered that he just wanted to know. It made me think the boy felt like his wanting to know about different genitals was a bad thing.
Anyway, something to think about. And don’t forget to teach your kids vagina = inside, vulva = outside!
(And don’t worry about The Olds not finding Luke’s repeated penis mantra funny. They come from a more humorless time
Good points. I agree.
That just made me laugh out loud, very funny!
Thanks!
hee hee, I sympathize! I’ve had, “Well, how did that baby get IN her tummy??!!” very loudly and insistantly in line at the store…and she did NOT want to wait for an explanation….
You’ve gotta laugh about it after the fact, but while you’re in the situation it’s downright embarrassing!