What did you tell your little kid when he/she asked how he/she was born? originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Rick Bruno, retired cop, on Quora:
I was a little surprised when my five-year-old son asked me how he was born one day, but when you have kids you tend to expect that, sooner or later, this issue will come up.
It so happened that it came up one afternoon when we were at the park.
I had thought about how I might answer the question for some time before it was asked. Some of my friends had picture books for children to help facilitate the discussion. I thought those might be useful, but apparently, people have been explaining this process to children for dozens of years, and I figured, as a somewhat educated person, I would be able to answer it without damaging the child.
So. I asked my son to sit next to me on a bench under an oak tree, near a large tranquil pond. Waterfowl swam serenely across the surface. I thought myself fortunate that the setting for such a serious conversation presented itself. I also thought my son would remember this discussion for the rest of his life.
He sat next to me, and I turned toward him. His large innocent brown eyes anticipated the answer to his question.
I said, "Greg. Ask your mother."
Then I asked him if he wanted some ice cream.
I know. I know.
This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
- Meaning of Life: I have a lot of dreams and goals for my life, but I feel like having kids would mean I'd never get to pursue them. What should I do?
- Parenting: Should you tell your adopted child that he/she is adopted?
- Family: What are some useful baby-"hacks" for first time parents in the first three months to make life easier?