How Babies Are Made ... Uncensored!

How Babies Are Made ... Uncensored!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

filed under: family

When it comes to sex, how much is too much information?

When we saw this children's book about how babies are made, we were shocked. It shows intercourse (with penetration!) and childbirth (complete with crowning!). The book is from Denmark, where the teen birth rates are 5.9 per 1,000 women ... compared to the U.S. teen birth rate, which is 41.9 per 1,000 women. Are they on to something?

The Birds and the Bees! Warning! Graphic Content!

How should we explain the birds and the bees to our own kids? Here's what pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson has to say:

"I am a believer in answering the question a child asks. This helps educate your youngster without offering more information than she is equipped to understand. A child will ask concrete questions, but if you really listen to the words, the answers he is looking for are usually broad, not detailed and anatomic. If this series of cartoons is targeted at young children (and presumably it is aimed at preschoolers and elementary schoolers), I think it offers more than they need -- or want -- to know."

What do you think of this book from Denmark -- refreshingly honest or too much information? Comment below.

Dr. Cara Natterson, a graduate of Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and author of "Your Toddler: Head To Toe," is a pediatrician and mother of 2. She is working on her forthcoming book, "Dangerous or Safe?"

filed under: family

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My 6-year-old was getting upset with the vague answers. Her dad finally told her everything. She still needs some clarification on a few things, but at least she knows. Sometimes the vague answers aren’t enough. (BTW, maybe because of this - when her daycare program had the kids changing from into their swimsuits, she was one of the few kids there not trying to check out each other’s “pee-pees.” What was the point? She knew what they looked like, no mystery there!)

- MarMar

Posted 08/13/09 01:24 PM

For Pre-schoolers, TMI. When someone told me early on, just the basics, I was horrified. I wasn’t ready at 5 yrs old. Plus then you get kids trying to figure it out when you’ve already got that creepy ‘show me yours & I’ll show you mine’ crap going on. Maybe I am “too conservative” but I do not think a pre-schooler needs this book. However! When I was @10 i was given a book I could not understand. IT was so technical I didn’t know what a period was when it started and thought I was going to die. There is a middle ground and I’m not sure if anyone has touched on it yet! I plan on being open and honest with my girls and already am about body parts with my almost-4 yr old, like it is no big deal. Nudity is not an issue in our house, but When she asks about where babies come from, rest-assured, I won’t be whipping out this book any time soon!

- rugbymom

Posted 08/13/09 03:48 PM

I personally think this is a good book. It explains everything in a simple way for kids to understand. Nowadays kids see and hear far worst stuff on TV and everywhere else. Based on experience too many parents are concerned with what their kids might do with the information they receive that they don’t speak with them. I remember my mom talking to me about my period when I was about 6 years old and she will always send me to school with a pad “just in case”. When I actually got my period at the age of 10 I was not scared and knew what to do and it happened while we were flying from Puerto Rico to New York. I did everything my mom told me and I was fined and I told her the day after and she was very proud of me. BTW can anyone tell me where I can find this book.

- May

Posted 08/14/09 04:03 PM