Children asking questions

[Cockney_si]

How much do you answer your childs questions?

Do you explain everything or get shy or embarrased and use the "ask your father" excuse.

Do you shield your children from the truth and edit and censor your lives or are you brutally honest every time?

[tradey]

i try and answer my 3yr old as much as i can,the other day she goes mummy did i come out of your belly or your twink which is your private part,she makes me laugh,i just said yep you came out of mummys twink,then thought god i hope she doesnt ask me how she got there id die.their so clever these days arent they

[Psychick]

I try my best to answer her questions as best as I can as this is one of the main ways a child learns things. But when youre bombared with questions all day every day........
I send her to you ;) lol

[yummymum]

i agree, they ask so many questions that by the end of the day u are running out of steam and answers! my 3yr old boy wakes up with a question ready for you, some times i just dont have the answers not because im thick but because there just isnt a answer or the answer is that complicated i would rather not get into it as it will just start a whole reel of new questions! I rarely say ask your Dad as he is likely to just send him back to me, i usually try and give the most honest and simple ansa I can come up with, think its pointless lying about things to them as well even though sometimes it can be embrassing to say the truth, best to explain first time because you will only end up telling them truth one day

[yinyang]

I always try to answer my girl's questions honestly at a level they'll understand. I never lie to them but don't always tell them the whole truth.
I'm glad to read from other responses that my two 5 year olds aren't the only ones that never take things at face value and every answer leads to another question. Keeps you on your toes but leaves you exhausted.
It's not just me that gets it - shop assistants, librarians, total strangers in parks, all get interrogated by my two.
The worst question I've ever been asked - 5 year old showing off her reading skills in a museum said ' mummy, why must we never forget the Holocaust?' aaaarrrghhh!!

[annie0000]

If you are particularly referring to questions about where babies come from, I have to recommend a book called Mummy Laid an Egg - It is only �1.50 and is a red fox mini treasure book. - It is absolutely hilarious as well as informative. When my husband read it through with our boys (6 & 5) the older one didn't bat an eyelid, but the younger one looked at him as if to say - you have got to be joking!

We just leave it on the bookshelf along wioth their other books and if they want to read it again, they can.

[Psychick]

Oooh thanks for that Annie!
My 6 yr old hasn't asked that question yet but no doubt it is coming!! lol
Can you remember where you got it? I might try and get it and slip it in with all her other books ready for her to read when she comes across it! lol

[Cockney_si]

Sometimes I find I'm too honest and get a stern look and a poke in the ribs from her indoors and told to be careful.

That book is on ebay for pennie, shall have to take a look.

Thanks for your views everyone :o)

[annie0000]

Hiya, I bought the book online along with some other books a while ago - sorry can't remember where - i would try ebay or google it and see. It will give you some ideas - it has little cartoon people doing stuff in various positions, including on a spacehopper! It is for kids though and is ideal for the 5-7 age group. Better than another book I bought that was apparantly for that age, but was a bit to graphic and serious for my taste - It is best to be as honest as possible without giving too much info.

I am now at the point where I feel I should cover up in front of the boys, so i try to be discrete, but they still come barging in while I am trying to get dressed, but they don't seem to bother and are not shy about their own bodies either!

[Psychick]

Hmmmm......give us an example of when thats happened cockney_si.

[Cockney_si]

When I'm about to explain why adults kiss and get together and do stuff, ha ha.

I think it's good to ask questions but agree yes that sometimes they ask them at the wrong moments in the day.

[Psychick]

Yes, definately be better to get that book I think! lol
And you can always count on kids to get their timing wrong ;)

[Pippa68]

I have always found the easiest thing to do is answer the question asked and leave it at that..no elaborations. Of course the children sometimes continue to ask ''why?'' but usually a short answer will suffice.

What I mean is that children can only take in a small piece of info at a time!

Some questions are to 'grown up' to answer truthfully..I say this because I have experienced this recently and felt that the answer wouldn't be understood fully and may cause problems in the playground..lol. Luckily in this cse ''I will tell you when you are a bit older'' satisfied Little Pippa :o)

[Psychick]

lol pippa, the times I have used "You'll find out when youre older" or "its adult stuff, you dont need to know yet".
Its when giving answers that may be a bit too grown up for a 6 yr old that cockney_si gets the stares.......I have never poked him in the ribs though!! lol

[hogmother]

we have always tried to answer questions truthfully, in fact some my daughter has asked have had me stumped and then my response is to look up the answer with her. I have used mummy laid an egg book and think it is great. My husband is always extremely truthful and gives her long detailed answers but she just takes in what she can at that time and she knows that we both will tell her what she wants to know. Just give them the answer that you are most comfortable with.