Saturday, August 15, 2009

I didn't wake up thinking, "I'm going to talk about genitalia with my 4 year old today."

Scene: Bathroom. Kitten is going potty.

K: Mommy, I don't have a weenie.
Syl: [blink. blink. swallow.] No, honey, you have a vulva. Girls have vulvas and boys have penises.
K: I don't have a weenie.
S: Nope. Only boys have penises. Girls and boys have different parts. We're just built different.
K: Mason has a weenie. (Boy from daycare, also potty training)
S: It's called a penis, honey. Boys have penises.
K: Ok.

We've discussed vulvas in the bathtub, but only in the sense of calling it by its name and telling them to wash it. We've glossed over the physical difference between boys and girls, but they've see Pants peeing, so it's not a huge mystery. But this is truly the first direct, pointed conversation we've had on the subject. I was pretty calm, I think, except for the blinking and swallowing part. It caught me off guard.

3 comments:

Jaysan said...

wow, you've opened my eyes! I wish I had had this talk earlier, things make so much more sense now!

Syl said...

Your day will come, my friend. You wait until you have to have this talk with your son.

Ms. Huis Herself said...

Oh yes. Those conversations that suddenly sneak up on you. Always fun. ;)

Mary P. over at It's Not All Mary Poppins has some great "parts" stories/conversations she's had as a long-time child care provider that are a hoot.