Recently, during a typical evening, my nine-year-old, Alex, approached me with a rather direct question: “I asked dad how babies are made, but he said you’d be angry if he told me.”
Initially, I felt perplexed about how to respond. (For the record, I might have traded a dozen chores just to avoid this moment.) “Actually, I wouldn’t have been upset with him…” I began, hoping to clarify.
While I had been anticipating this conversation (which may not be the best sign), I was determined to engage. After all, my kids often praised me as the “most approachable mom” and claimed they could discuss anything with me. I was fairly confident I could discuss anatomical terms without breaking into laughter.
“What do you already know about how babies are made?” I inquired, curious if I would need to correct any misunderstandings from peers.
“I know there’s a mommy seed and a daddy seed, but I’m not sure how they come together to make a baby,” Alex replied, looking quite troubled by the topic.
I offered a comforting hug. “Alright, it works like this: The mommy seed is found inside her body, and the daddy seed is inside him. When they decide to have a baby, the daddy places his seed into the mommy, allowing the two parts to unite and create a baby.”
To myself: Success! But the look on Alex’s face was still one of confusion. “But how does the daddy seed get to the mommy seed?”
“Ah, that part.” It’s just a word; time to say it. “The penis.”
A look of horror crossed their face. “What about the penis?”
“The seed is released from the penis,” I explained.
“And goes where?”
To myself: You heard this once, and it didn’t harm you. They can handle it. Just say it. “The daddy puts his penis inside the mommy’s vagina so the two seeds can meet.”
Alex’s expression suggested I had just revealed a great horror, complete with a cringing pose and hand on their stomach. “But… why?” they asked, genuinely puzzled.
“It’s just how it works,” I emphasized. “It’s a peculiar system if you really think about it, right?”
They nodded, their head bobbing in agreement. “How long does it stay in there?” Alex wanted to know.
“Not long,” I reassured them, noting their growing concern and also because, well, that was the truth.
“I don’t want to do that,” Alex declared, again clutching their midsection.
“Then you don’t have to,” I replied, relieved.
They didn’t inquire about potential pain or seem to recognize that their father and I had engaged in this process at least twice. Nor did they ask about any accidental occurrences that might arise during such an intimate moment.
In summary, the discussion was surprisingly successful. A win for knowledgeable parenting.
For those interested in more on this topic, be sure to check out resources like MedlinePlus, which provide excellent information on reproduction and insemination methods. If you’re curious about practical home insemination options, you might also want to explore Make a Mom’s offerings. For further insights, our post on intracervical insemination is a great read as well.