FINAL TSTO Lesa Dec 14.pdf - Flipbook - Page 22
If your 3 year old asks you ‘where do I come from?’
you could ask them, ‘what do you think?’ This
serves a few roles — it clarifies what they are
asking, it gives you some time to think and gauge
answers accordingly, and it shows that you are
happy to have the conversation. Usually, telling a
very young child that the baby starts as a tiny egg
inside the mother’s body is enough.
Four and 5 year olds can understand that a baby
grows in the mother’s uterus, and that you need a
sperm (like a seed) from a man and an ovum (like
a tiny egg) from a woman to make a baby.
What do I do when … I find them playing
doctors?
If they are quite young you might ignore it, or you might
just insist they keep their clothes on. For 4 and 5
year olds you might want to teach that it’s natural to
be curious but you’d prefer they keep their clothes
on. If you have a good book handy (see Some good
books and other written resources on page 66 for
recommendations) try telling them that it looks like
they are very interested in girls’ and boys’ bodies and,
while they get dressed, you’ll get a picture book that
explains the body. You will need to tell the other child’s
parents. They may do things differently in their family,
but they will want to know.
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