Explaining Adoption to a 4Yr Old
“Mommy, can the doctor put China Doll back in your tummy? I don’t want her anymore she cries too much!”
My little Monkey said this about a month after My Doll was born, he is now heading towards the age of 5 and Doll is going to be 2 this month.
Later A( step mom) became pregnant, he saw her tummy grow and out come Willy exactly a year after China Doll was born.
Monkey likes to talk about how he was in Mommy’s tummy and that one day he was bored and came out! (Oh how I love talking to kids!)
So then he added “Just like you came out of Mama’s (my Mom) tummy, right Mommy?”
Mental pause, I never thought about having to explain that to them at such a young age, so out pops the best age appropriate answer I could think of while driving down the road.
“Baby, mommy didn’t grow in Mama’s tummy, Mommy was adopted”
“What’s ‘dopted?”
“Well, it means that Mommy grew in someone else’s tummy”
“But why couldn’t you grow up in Mama’s tummy?”
Wow this kid sure knows what to ask; doesn’t he!?
“Mama’s tummy didn’t know how to grow a baby, so Mama found me”
I winged it, I know it could have sounded a lot better!!
“Oh well, where’s the lady that you grew in her tummy?”
“I’m not sure baby, but she couldn’t give me everything that she needed for a baby, but I can tell you that she loved me very much! And that Mama was very happy that she finally could have a baby even if I didn’t grow in her tummy”
Wow! Sounds like you did a really great job!
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