haggis supper

My eight year old daughter asked this a few months ago and I fobbed her off with the "descended from apes" stuff. It sort of worked, though she did ask me soon after - "well where did the very first ape come from?". I promised to look it up but forgot, and now that I have I can only find detailed scientific answers.

My daugher is very persistent and for the sake of our health and sanity I need to provide a decent, plausible response that an eight year old will understand (and a 38 year old can explain). Any advice ? Anyone had a similar question ?

Thanks awfully...

margy

When our daughter was about that age we bought a book, age related, to tell her about the birds and bees.

We've also always been quite open about "it" and when asked a question, answered her in a way that she'd understand.

I remember my own parents being terrible up tight about it all and never telling up anything. So I suppose it made me more determined to try to be more open about things.

Everyone has their own way of telling their children. Don't worry about it too much.

Good luck.

M

Wendy

Tell her the very detailed scientific answer, she won't ask again in a hurry

Grayling

I don't think the question is about sex.....seems more like an 'origin of the species' question.

To which I do not know the answer but would go for evolution.

G

The Crow

I remember, as a child, being very confused being told that humans had evolved from apes. Couldn't understand why there were still apes - why had they not all evolved So, humans must have come from some neanderthal ape-man, I assumed. But then why hadn't other animals that had been around as long not evolved. Why hadn't cats learnt how to talk - or perhaps they can, but choose not to

As an adult, I now believe we came from outer space

Wendy

And that's just the people who post on here

emelems

Give her both versions if it were me... I'd say some believe God created us (and tell her about Adam and Eve) and then do the Darwin theory and then perhaps even have a chat about reincarnation! (if need be!)..

Kids love this sort of info... keep it very basic and on a 8yr olds leve and inho be as honest with her as you can.. ie, no one knows for sure, but this is what some people with different backgrounds believe..

Then, usually, it goes on to reproductive questions... again.. be honest and truthful... ie, when my 7 year old asked me "how did I get out of your tummy?".. I told him the truth... the doctor cut a hole in my tum and pulled you out!

ha! now! there was a reason why I had a c section! mwahh haa haaa ha!

Em x

PS He is 12 now and we have told him the "other way" people give birth! lol

spartacus

Why from chickens dear haggis dear haggis dear haggis, from chickens dear haggis dear haggis from chickens.

haggis supper

bridie

But which came first, the chicken or the egg

haggis supper

Thanks folks. To clarify it wasn't about sex but evolution. She seems to be getting her sex answers from watching episodes of Friends.

I decided to explain the apes/evolution thing and also the "God created us". She wandered off with a furrowed brow - I expect more questions.

My son (aged 6) asked me to clarify the ape thing, and was I sure that we were all once apes as he said "I don't remember being a monkey". Not sure how to respond !

haggis supper

Who had the biggest smile ?

bridie

Burbage

Forget the god nonsense. That's for people who aren't able to think beyond the level of a five year old. She is now eight.

The problem is time. It's a very difficult concept to grasp and children find it very difficult. You have to try to demonstrate it somehow. Because the point of evolution is that it takes a very long time and many many generations. You can start by poitning out to her that she is a little bit different to you and that you are a little bit different to your parents. And youremember your grandparents being a little bit different to your parents, and her children will be different to her.

So. What you then need to point ut is that your duaghter's baby, when she has one, will be quite a lot different to your grandparents. And so you can poitn out that over a little bit of time, four generations of your family and maybe a hundred years or so, some quite large changes can happen.

And then tell her your great-grandfather was a chimpanzee named Bob.

Only joking.

Then you need to tell her that humans have been here for a very long time. Many many many generations and that she has thousands and thousands of ancestors and some of them would look very different to her. There was a time when all her ancestors who were living were black skinned and lived in Africa. And before that there were ancestors who were a lot more hairy, and before that there was an ancestor that was an ancestor to her, but was also an ancestor to chimpanzees.

And then buy the DVD of Life on Earth by David Attenborough.

Deutschmaster

A little girl asked her father: 'How did the human race appear
The father answered, 'God made Adam and Eve; they had children; and so was all mankind made

Two days later the girl asked her mother the same question. The mother answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved

The confused girl returned to her father and said, 'Dad, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Mom said they came from monkeys

The father answered, 'Well, Dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family, and your mother told you about hers