That's it???

Nora came home from school the other day and asked me how the dentist knew she was a girl. I was a little confused; it had been a few weeks since the dental hygienist had visited their school, and I really couldn't figure out what her teeth had to do with being a girl. I asked her a few questions, and determined what she was really asking is how, when she was born, did the doctor know that she was a girl. Ahhh...well that's a different question all together.

I think its really important to be honest about these questions with our children, no matter what the age. Of course its also really important to be age appropriate...which is really hard to do with Nora because she's so darn smart and sometimes I forget she's only five. Anyways, I responded with, "The doctor told us you were a girl because you have the body of a girl". Nice, to the point, answers the query.

"But Mom", she retorted," what's a body of a girl? What does that mean?". Oh dear.

"Boys and girls have different body parts Nora. You have the parts that make up a girl". Smooth.

"What parts? Mom, I don't get it." Crap. Time for the big guns.

"Well Nora, boys have a penis and girls have a vagina." Oh my God I just said penis to a five-year old girl.

"Penis????? Gaina??? WHAT is a penis???? What's a Gaina????" What have I done?

(Deep breath) "Ummm...well, when girls and boys go pee pee they have different parts. The boy's part is called a penis. The girl has a vagina". Well that's not a very good description Ivy! That is not really how girls go.

"That's it? I know THAT. Girls have a flat butt in the front, and boys have a funny belly button thingy when they pee. "

Well, good to see I'm not needed around here! And BTW, thanks Jett at school for forgetting to close the door when you go to the bathroom. You made that conversation a whole lot shorter and easier than I imagined!