Today while we were in the car Cody asked me a question that I wasn't prepared for and didn't quite know how to answer. Our conversation went like this...
Cody: "Mommy, after we grow up and get big do we turn into babies again?"
Me: "No, we never turn into babies again. We only get to be babies one time. After you are finished being a little boy you will be a man, then you will be a daddy, and then a grandpa."
I thought I was doing pretty well up until this point. And then...
Cody: "What happens after we are grandpas?"
Me: "Uh, um, uh...well, we go up to heaven and we get to be with all the people we love again."
Cody: "Why are they there?"
Me: "Well, after we get very old, our bodies get tired and we (gulp) die."
Cody: "Am I gonna die Mommy?"
Me: (thinking - "OH CRAP!!") "No honey, not until you a very, very old."
Cody: (sobbing now) "You mean very old like Papa? Is Papa gonna die? Why do we have to die?"
Me: (thinking - HELP!!!) "Well, our bodies get tired after a long life, so they need to rest."
Cody: "I think I need to take more naps. Then my body won't get tired and I won't die."
Me: (in a last ditch effort to stop this downhill slide) "Oh look, Daddy's home! Let's go see if he wants to play a game."
HELP! Anyone have any great ideas on how to explain the cycle of life next time it comes up?
I think you did just great! Truth without too many details. Be prepared though, Rylan went through a phase when he started pointing to people and asking me if were old enough to die when we would be walking through the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I am dreading such a conversation. I haven't even used the word die in front of Tatum yet. Even when she's putting something small in her mouth and I tell her she could choke, I stop before I say "and die" because I don't want her to think it's cool and give it a try. So, did it come up again or are you off the hook for now?
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