I thought it was rather clever to ask this at bedtime because being responsible Mummies, we do want to get the answer correct. And Mummy (if she’s anything like me) is weak at bedtime and longing for wine. So Lucy fudged it.
This reminded me of my own spectacular fudging of the issue while dealing with the same situation when Son was three (he was somewhat precocious). Son’s question related to 101 Dalmations’ Pongo and Perdita.
Son: Where did Perdita’s puppies come from?
Me: From her tummy.
Son: How did they get there?
Me: Pongo put them there.
Son: *Confused* How?
Well, anyway, she says, fudging the issue again, I’m too embarrassed to continue with that story, because apparently you shouldn’t mention willies for some years yet, but no-one had told me that. Flash forward ten years to last Saturday when I took son shopping, and we were approached by this group of lovely Thais just outside MBK shopping mall:
If you filled out a piece of paper saying what you thought of sex education, they gave you a free gift. This is a good thing, I thought, Son is nearly fourteen, here’s a good introduction to talking about IT. I filled out a little heart shaped piece of paper and received my gift: hmmm, lots of stickers saying things about safe sex etc. This is a good thing, I reminded myself. Oooh, look in the gift bag, a heart shaped jelly sweet, and what’s that? Oh, a lolly pop and what’s … oh … that? Oh. It’s … a condom. Oh. This. Is. A. Good. Thing. We have to have these conversations.And so what followed was a conversation in which Son told me stuff about ‘kids at school’ and asked questions and stuff, and really I found it’s much easier at this age. A bit more grown up and honest, and not a real cock up (sorry) if I mention willies.
