How to answer 5 yr olds questions???

sravugarimella · May 17, 2007

Hi All,

I have a 5 year old son, who cant stop asking questions. These days he is getting to know the difference between boys and girls as he goes to school.

Recently he asked me a question pointing towards my breasts, and wanted to know what they were and why is it only for mummies. I tried to explain him by making it as simple as possible. But still sometimes he gets new doubts. I know its common for a growing kid to be curious to know stuff.. But I feel awkward at times.

Please any of the experienced ladies/Moms tell me how do you handle these kind of situations?? Looking forward to your ideas..Thanks

Sravanthi

puni88 · May 18, 2007

Hello,
Same here, my 6yr and 4yr old keep asking me lot of questions like this.
The other day 4yr was asking me that how come I have 2 kids and he has only one mommy. I said, everybody will have only one mommy and mommy can have many kids. But immediately my older one said, how come his friends has many moms and dads as step mom and step dad.
Then I explained that we Indians will have only one daddy and one mommy only. That is what god likes from us.
Sometime I just escape asking them to talk to their daddy about their questions.
It is kind of difficult situation. But we have to go thru it.

Thanks,
Punitha

Anamika29 · May 21, 2007

I think that we must consider that the fact our kids ask so many questions is a good thing; it meand they are clever and developing ok. In my opinion we should answer those questions considering the modern times and... of course their age. We don't want our children to be less aware than others or to find out the things of life latter. This is the world they are living in and we have to prepare them for that. I think is a good thing for kids to know differences bet boys and girls. I tell my kids that girls will have brests and boys won't; that brests are important to give milk to babies and that is something that goes for everybody including some animals. If they know things they won't act strangely to try to understand things like i see some kids do. I also explain that all kids just have one mommy and one daddy and those are always special but some kids are not so happy because their parents don't want to share the same house and bed and want to live with others. I try to make them understand that they are happy to have mommy and daddy that love eachother and we are family.

Triza · May 21, 2007

Hi Sravanthi,

I also have a 5 year old daughter like this asking so ,many questins. From my experince let me tell you, never discourage them from asking questions even if it is disturbing to us. Todays children are fast in grasping things, may be because they are more exposed to media. So there is no point in giving them some kind of answers just to escape from their questions, but as far as possible give them honest, genuine answers( of course bearing in mind their age level). The advantage of we, moms answering their questions are many. First of all they will develop a confidence that we are there to clarify all their doubts and they can disclose anything to us . This will avoid situations where they gather wrong information from wrong sources.

I encourage my daughter to describe all what had happened in the school each day. How ever busy I am, I spare some time to hear her and now it has become a habit. Some times I wonder, they have a better understanding of things even at this age of 5 what we used to know at an age of 15.

So don't get disturbed over their questions, but answer them patiently and i believe we moms should be their best friends whom they can confide anything.

Regards,

Triza