Is That A Butt?

So, not really sure how to dive into this smoothly, so I’m just gonna go for it.

My son pooped after dinner last night, so I was changing his diaper. My daughter was watching. Yeah, I know — I don’t get it either. But she likes to watch. And when you’re flying solo with the kids and it keeps her occupied, you let her watch.

I’m going about the task at hand, trying not to get poop on my hand (the boy tries to spin like a crocodile during diaper changes these days), when in her very innocent and curious voice I hear:

“Dada, is that his butt?”

She was asking about his weenie.

[panic sets in]

She’s 3½. I shouldn’t be having this talk yet... should I? I didn’t have a clue what to say. Do I tell her what’s what? Do I make something up? Can I get in trouble for stuff like this? What if she says something at school?

After gathering myself, I told her it was not his butt — that boys and girls have different parts. She asked if it was his “buh-gina” (that’s vagina in kid-speak; it’s one of those words I don’t have the heart to correct yet because the mispronunciation is too cute).

I told her no, boys don’t have buh-ginas — they have pee-pees. And that boys have them and girls don’t.

A litany of questions ensued. I did my best. At some points I couldn’t help but just laugh at myself and the situation.

I have no idea if I handled it right. But no one cried, I didn’t get poop on my hand (or my son), and I think we had are first go-round with the birds and the bees.

Calling that a win.