How Do U Explain To A Pre-schooler Why There Teachers Tummy Is Getting Bigger?
10 October 2009 10 Responses
A Parent asks, I work in a pre-school and my boss isnt sure how to tell the other parent and how to explain it to the kids. She asked me to brain storm but i havent thought of anything.. any ideas on what to say. i work for a jewish pre-school also so that kinda comlicated it, the Rabbi knows because i talked to him and also all the other teachers but no parents or kids.
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Most kids would respond well to a simple, matter of fact explanation that there is a baby growing inside your tummy, that usually seems enough to satisfy their curiosity. If you find that they are more than interested and begin asking a lot of questions, maybe you could turn it into a learning activity and have a brainstorm with the children about babies – record their questions and ask them what they think the answers are. It is great for their learning and you’d be amazed at what they might come up with.
I was a relief teacher in various preschools during my first pregnancy and when it became more obvious I would always have it pointed out to me – “You’ve got a fat tummy!” I would respond, “Yes, that is because I am going to have a baby”. “Ooooh” they would usually say!
I’m not sure what the protocols are in a Jewish school but being an advocate for child-centred curriculum I can’t help but think this would be a perfect learning opportunity for your preschoolers! Maybe as a way of letting parents know you could write a personal newsletter letting them know of the impending birth (as they will need to be informed of your leave and staff changes before too long, it would be nice if it had a personal touch).
All the best!
(Mum of 2 toddlers, former teacher)
I went to a Jewish Day School as a kid, and I can’t see how this is any different from any other kind of school in this particular matter.
I am a teacher, and I teach early elementary (now I’m a specialist, but I used to be a classroom teacher. I work with grades K – 3.) I would just tell them that you are going to have a baby and that the baby is growing inside you and that you will be getting bigger (show where) as the baby gets bigger. You will probably have to answer a LOT of questions about this, and the questions will keep coming for months (probably till the baby comes!) Just keep answering in simple, honest terms. Nothing too graphic, obviously. Just be sure what the kids are asking – and answer what they really want to know. Don’t embelish. At that age, they don’t need to know much, just the most basic facts.
I have never been pregnant, but I adopted both my kids, and they are a different race from me. When I adopted my first child, I had to answer a LOT of questions from my students. At the time, I was a classroom teacher of a 2nd grade class. The questions were tough some times. But I’m glad I answered them as honestly as possible. The kids were so happy to see my new daughter, when she came home!
Once you answer the first group of questions, you’ll see that you had nothing to worry about.
Mazel Tov!!!
When my sister was pregnant my kids asked how the baby got into the belly. She answered them with “God put it there for me to love and take care of” when they asked who would take it out she replied with ” the doctors will take the baby out” If you keep the answers short and soudn confident in what you are telling them they will be satisfied. Also ask your parents how they think you should talk to the kids.
you just have to tell children that god has put a baby into your teachers tummy and after a while the doctor will take out the baby from the tummy.
Kids are a lot smarter than most parents give them credit for. The best thing to do, in my humble opinion, is to tell them that that woman is going to have a baby soon, and the baby needs to grow inside her tummy until it is ready to come out. Of course, that can open up a huge can if worms, but honesty is always the best policy.
You always answer exactly the question the toddler asks, with the most simple answer possible. You don’t volunteer anything else unless they ask a follow up question, and then you answer exactly the question asked with the most simple answer.
They will most likely be quite satisfied to hear that her tummy is getting bigger because a new baby is growning inside.
I would just explain to them that when a mommy’s tummy gets bigger it’s because a baby lives inside there and is growing bigger and when the baby is big enough, he/she will come out and we will get to see the new baby. Good luck.
The parents no doubt will figure it out-they are parents after all and have been there. Just tell the kids she is having a baby and leave it at that they don’t need more details. Have more dolls and doll things avaiable for all the kids as they will no doubt be more intereseted in playing with babies for a while.
Bring some baby on the way books to preschool, read them to the kids, ask if any of them have babies on the way or already at home, then say I am going to have a baby soon, you can watch him grow in my tummy. Then take a survey on if they think it will be a boy or a girl, take name suggestions, etc. The kids will take care of telling their parents.
My oldest was barely 4 when I became pregnant with number 3, we just talked about the baby growing in my tummy all the time, looked at pictures in the American Baby-As your Baby Grows magazine. Complete with Sperm (daddy’s donation, thankfully she didn’t ask anymore about that) and Umbilical chords. I started getting pictures of her baby brother, complete with placentas and chords. It was great!
Tell them she is growing a baby so she can be a mommy like their mommy. I am sure it is not unknown to all the children that this is where babies come from. I imagine a few of them have younger siblings or cousins. It isn’t that hard to explain it to kids. Most of the time adults make these things more complicated than they need to be.
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