Answering the Question “Where Do Babies Come From?”

This is a partnered post. All thoughts and opinions are that of the writer.

Where do babies come from? It’s a question children wonder, and parents dodge. How we settled upon the story of a large bird delivering infants to our doorsteps is beyond me. But the idea of a stork sets little eyes skyward and saves us from having to answer any follow-up questions.  Phew!

When we told our older children that we were having another baby, we made a little scavenger hunt.  As our girls raced through the house, they collected letters to spell out the big news.  My 6-year-old gushing “Thank you!” may be one of my fondest memories.  At the end of the hunt were Mickey Mouse ears spelling out their new title of “Big Sister.”

But it wasn’t long before the question of where babies come from arose.  I’ll be honest, I gave as little information as possible and hoped they would stop asking!  But their curious minds couldn’t be quenched, so I fed them little tidbits and hoped I wasn’t scaring them. Imagine my relief when I was presented with The Baby Tree to share with my children.

The Baby Tree, by award-winning illustrator Sophie Blackall, follows a little boy on his quest to discover where babies come from.  Everyone seems to know a little, except grandpa, whose stork explanation is totally off.  My 4-year-old giggled at the sight of swaddled babies bouncing out of the hospital.  “Babies can’t walk!  That’s too silly.”  She knows more than I give her credit for.

Perfect for the 5-8 year old range, it offers factual information without overwhelming them with details.  I’ve had three children, and I still feel overwhelmed by the details!  My girls understood the age-appropriate explanation of a seed growing within the mom for nine months.  It was just enough to answer their questions.  However, there’s an afterword with frequently asked questions and kid-friendly answers for those who may still be wondering.  It’s hard to know what to tell kids, but having a springboard like this can make the conversation easier.

I was inspired by this silly video, asking the age-old question. The kids crack me up with their theories and speculations.  I’m pretty sure I’d qualify for free shipping if I had ordered our new baby online.

I thought it’d be fun to interview some of the kids in my life and see what they came up with. The resounding response to “Where do babies come from?” was mommy’s tummy.  Totally accurate, and I breathed a sigh of relief I didn’t have to explain to my nephews how those babies got in the tummies.

The Baby Tree is a charming story, full of gentleness and curiosity.  It’s a great resource for those welcoming a new baby into the family or with children who are just looking for answers.  Pick up Blackwall’s book, available now, for $17.99 at your favorite book retailer.

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