Chasing the Birds and the Bees Back to Their Nests and Hives

Yesterday afternoon, I was briefing the kids on our plans to have some friends over for dinner that evening. I explained that they were Mr. and Mrs. D., and that Mr. D. was a friend of mine from my former job.

"Do they have any kids?" our daughter asked.

"No, they don't," I said. "They just got married last year, and, well, they may never have kids or they may wait a while to have them. A lot of married couples like to just be married first and have kids a little later."

"How do they keep the baby from getting in her tummy?" our boy asked, clearly thinking that these things just HAPPEN when people get married and that that's how it works.

Casually, and averting eye contact, I responded, "Mommies and daddies have a special way of putting a baby in the mommy's tummy."

"Oh," he said. "And they just haven't done that yet." True in a sense, and all the information he needs at age 6.