7? Really? I figured 10 was early enough for that talk. What is everybody else doing re: age for the "talk"?

Tears . . . I have tears in my eyes, I'm laughing so hard.

I think I'll let my husband tell my son about the birds and the bees. :)

I think the conversation I overheard between Things One and Two that made me realize we needed to chat involved the idea that babies came out of the mother's "crouch" and an ensuing argument about whether or not that applied only to kangaroos. They were about 5 and 7.

We covered the basics, then they had "Family Life" at school in fourth or fifth grade. Thing One came home, shaking his head and saying, "That is so wrong in so many ways."

The LC Eileen

Hey, I read that book! Not that my parents ever gave it to me. One of my friends had it, and I read it aloud to the whole car as we went off somewhere. (My mother was, I swear, in the car, but she has no recollection of this.)

Hey, I read that book! Not that my parents ever gave it to me. One of my friends had it, and I read it aloud to the whole car as we went off somewhere. (My mother was, I swear, in the car, but she has no recollection of this.)

Oh I'm laughing too. I was pretty open about everything and would answer questions as they came. I figured if they didn't know what to ask they weren't quite ready for it.

Trust me when I say parents in the 8o's did that too. My MOm bought me a book titled something like "you and your body', but it showed pictures of both male and females as they mature. OMG! Oh, and I never got a "talk". The book was it. My Daughter is 11, I have no idea how to approach the entire subject!!!

Okay, BugBoy is 7 and I am in no way ready to have this discussion with him. I may never be ready to have this discussion with him although, naturally, I want him to be free to ask questions and discuss anything. I'm just not sure I want to participate in the answers or the discussion. Isn't that why he has a father?????

Please? (Of course, he also tried to tell me last week that I obviously couldn't pee because I don't have a penis. I had to explain that women were plumbed differently and then HE WANTED TO SEE.)

Alesia - the advice I got is "answer when they ask." I think that's good advice. However, I don't think those people had a mother who was an instigator.

Jo - if I let Fish tell the girls about the birds and the bees, we'd all be in therapy. Especially Fish. As it is, every time I mention that eventually the girls will be getting their periods, he cries. Of course, that may be because he's anticipating PMSx3.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that's it.

Brandy - Have your mother drop off the book in a bunch of other books so that your daughter finds it and blindsides you with it. That's what I did. :)

Dia - Sweetness is still pissed off that boys get to pee standing up. I'm kinda with her on that one. We got a raw deal.

Lani, bless you! I needed a laugh, and you brought back some great memories... I talked with Cuddles and Dinky when Cuddles was in the 4th or 5th grade because her class was doing the life thing and I decided that I didn't want her to go to it. I feel strongly that whatever she needs to know she would learn from me. So both of the girls sat there while we talked about it. And invariably at that age you get the "EEWWW! That's totally GROSS, Mom! I won't EVER want to do THAT!!" To which I say "Thank GOD!" and let it go. I agree that they will ask when they want to know. My girls listened and seemed satisfied with the answers they received. Of course, I have since had to deal with Aunt Flo coming to visit once a month but we handled it with a few tears and it was all good. You will survive it--really. And when you figure out the Celibate Talk and Sex will Cause Death in Many Nasty Ways Talk I would appreciate it if you would send it to me so I can take notes.... I've been shopping for shotguns meanwhile!

Ok, we are in the "scare them celibate" stage right now. My oldest is almost 16, my middle-13, youngest-12, all girls. Yeah we got pmsX4 here( my poor poor husband). I'm most worried about the oldest, she was dating a sweet boy who only did what she told him he could. But then she breaks up with him because he's too nice, so who knows what she'll bring home next. We've had the boys only want one thing talk, the AIDS talk, the "you know you're here because Mommy had too many Strawberry Daiquiri's" talk. SIGH, if I can keep all three un-preggers and disease free all the way through high school and college, then my life will be complete. On a side note, did anyone else notice how men's view on premarital sex does a 180 when they have daughters. My girls' dad (we're divorced and remarried to others) thinks that he'll just say "No sex", and the girls will say "Ok, Dad" and that will be the end of it. In the meantime, there is a drawer that has condoms in it. They know it's there (mainly for the almost 16 year old), no judgement from me. Just use them if they need them. So far, it's untouched, but I'd rather have them alive and AIDS free than otherwise. Ok, enough ranting from me.
Berni

Berni - "the "you know you're here because Mommy had too many Strawberry Daiquiri's" talk." OMG! Too funny!

Here at Chez Janina, we have had the don't-believe-them-when-they-say-they're-on-the-pill talk. StinkyBoy is 16 going on 8, but those soft voices on the phone sound 16 going on 36. Riddle me this: why does a girl who claims to be holier-than-thou shave her ya-ya and beg to have their tongue pierced? (Her mother told me about the ya-ya.) I've always said, it's the ones that claim innocence that you need to worry about. Frankly, I'm terrified.

Eileen Said "We covered the basics, then they had "Family Life" at school in fourth or fifth grade. Thing One came home, shaking his head and saying, "That is so wrong in so many ways."

----->LOL, I feel your pain Eileen. Sunshine came home from Family Life and said "We did boys today and it was gross. Thank goodness we do girls tomorrow. That'll be so much better."

To which I said, "Uhhh, Sunshine? Honey, we need to talk...."

LOL, isn't parenting fun!!

chelle

The best actually was when Thing Two asked about circumcision and I explained that we had had his catered and invited thirty or so of our friends and family to watch. He thought I was joking until his beloved Grandma confirmed all that I'd said.

The LC Eileen

OH, LC Eileen, that is just *too* funny. *I* couldn't even watch BugBoy's circumcision and cried the first time I had to change the teeny little gauze bandage wrapped around it afterwards.

Janina, they shave their ya-ya's so that the other girls won't make fun of them in the locker room for a stray pube poking out. I know, stupid, but my oldest Italian very naturally hairy daughter has been picked on for similiar stuff. Teen girls are cruel. My girl just shaves the bikini area, not the whole ya-ya. Now, the tongue piercing, I can't help you out with.
hope that helps,
Berni