It's Not the Stork

My neighbor and I were standing outside chatting one evening after work and watching our kids play.  Oliver and her daughter are pals and he's become a frequent visitor at her house and she at ours.  My neighbor told me that although she didn't think I'd have a problem with it that she still felt like it was her neighborly duty to tell me that the last time Oliver was over, they were discussing where babies come from.  She found their conversation pretty comical, as you would expect from kids at this age.  Although Oliver skipped over nine months of gestation by informing his friend that the "sperm's tail falls off when it touches the egg and then a baby pops out," my neighbor was impressed he knew the sperm's tail falls off.  That's a fact I actually didn't know until I ready a book written at a four- through seven-year-old age level.

I bought the book It's Not the Stork after it had been recommended in our Early Childhood and Family Education class, and it's been one of Oliver's more-requested books.  Soren enjoys the book too even though he doesn't have the attention span for it yet. It's written in a cartoon format and I think the pictures help keep his attention.

I was admittedly a bit uncomfortable reading the book out loud at first, but it quickly became just like any other book on the kids' bookshelf.  Developing this kind of comfort level was the whole point.  If I want my kids to feel comfortable talking to me about anything, I can't be embarrassed or awkward.

Even though I think it's important to start the conversation about anatomy and reproduction when children are young, these are awkward topics to know where to start.  This book has been great for me because it presents all the facts in an age-appropriate and engaging way and I don't have to worry about whether I'm explaining something well or whether I have my facts straight.  It keeps these topics in the forefront without forcing them.