The Birds and the Bees

I don't believe in teaching my kids euphemisms for their body parts, and I'm all for accuracy and honesty when it comes to explaining what it means to be a human being. But, yesterday I found myself stuck in a simplicity spiral on this very topic.

We were on our way home from some errands and the boys were conversing in the backseat. The conversation meandered here and there, randomly alighting on various topics and veering off into new territory now and then but ending up on this exchange:

Elliot: Mommy, can guys make babies in their tummies?

Me: No, only women can.

Owen: Why?

Me: Well, it's kind of complicated but I'll tell you as simply as I can.... (here I gulped silently to myself and wondered if I had the vocabulary at the ready for them). Men have a seed inside them--

Owen: A seed? Do you mean like a seed in a garden?

Me: Yes, like a seed in a garden. And in that seed is part of what makes a baby grow. Now, this is going to sound odd, but women have eggs inside them. (Owen and Elliot looked at me dubiously) and when the seed plants in the egg, a baby starts to grow in the mommy's tummy.

Owen: But how does the seed get inside the egg?

(Here I started madly calculating in my head exactly how accurate I needed to be at this moment. Luckily I was pulling into our driveway at this time, so I parked the car and turned to face them in the backseat).

Me: Well, it's something that happens when a man and woman love each other very much and decide to mate and be partners.

Owen: (nodding his head thoughtfully) So, it's when you are an adult.

Me: Yeah, you have a long time before that happens -- once you're a big guy and you meet the right person-- like when Daddy met Mommy--

Elliot: (interrupting) I want to grow up and be a big guy!!!!!!

That's as far as we got before they started talking about ice cream and cookies and then we went up into the house for homework, chores and dinner.

Simple and (mostly) accurate. They are only 3 and 6 year old after all. I'm wondering, though, how long it will be before I'll need to explain the rest of it...