Friday, February 01, 2008

Isn't this happening a bit early?

A conversation with Sister last night, after we returned from the library with a book on puberty for her:

Sister: Mom, I think Lily and I have had the wrong idea about sex.
Me: Oh really? In what way?
Sister: Well, we thought that every time you had sex you got pregnant. But in this book it says there are other reasons why people have sex.
Me: (weakly) Oh, uh, you thought that, huh? Well, no, a woman doesn't get pregnant every time, but it can definitely happen.

Secretly I was thinking, "Rats! They're on to us!" But I promise I didn't perpetrate this little fiction on Sister on purpose, like, strategically.

She has been utterly engrossed in this book for nearly all her waking hours since yesterday, though I forbade her from taking it to school on the pretext that it was a library book I didn't want lost. The truth is that I have no idea what sort of thing might happen on the playground as a result. I could easily imagine Sister holding forth on all sorts of titillating topics to an astonished 9- to 10-year old crowd. When did I first become aware of the facts about sex and puberty and that sort of thing? I can't remember at all...

Her friend Lily got her first training bras yesterday and they're having a sleepover tonight at Sister's grandma's house. Oh to be a fly on the wall over there tonight!

5 comments:

Joan said...

While driving home one day my son asks "Do deer get a good feeling after they do it like people?" I almost wrecked. I think he was in 5th grade.
My 5th grader daughter wears bras everyday now - not that she needs them.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like fun times for Sister!

Amber said...

I'm really struggling with trying to figure out how to approach this topic with my oldest. I know I'm a big wuss- and that I should have started long before now. Any tips?

cubmommy said...

Oh to be a fly on the wall at the sleepover. I am always curious about what kids think.

Angel said...

I'm dying to know what book she's reading!!! and Joan cracks me up!!!! Deer?!! Why deer?!

oh to be young and innocent...what I wouldn't give....