Hannah tossed a couple of questions at me today that I wasn't expecting for at least a couple of years.
First:
"Why are all humans only boys and girls?"
I went with:
"Because you need boys and girls to make more humans."
Hannah:
"But where did the first one come from?"
Is it normal for little kids to think about these things? I know adults who couldn't care less (though there are some who would start wars over this particular issue).
So I told her that scientists believe that we evolved from other organisms and that it took us a long time to get to what we are now.
But I have no idea how to really explain that to an almost five-year old, especially when I'm pretty sure that this almost-five year old is a lot smarter than I am.
She let me off the hook this time, but I'll be ready for the chicken-and-egg question.*
* It was the chicken.
5 comments:
No, it was the egg. A chicken-like bird laid it, and it became a chicken. :-)
We watch enough of the Science Channel that Antonio knows "people used to be monkeys," but he has a very understandable time-scale problem.
And Hannah never asked you how she and Charlotte got into your tummy? I get that one all the time.
I still say it was the chicken. It evolved from something else (your chicken-like bird) which didn't necessarily lay eggs; the egg was a genetic mutation to protect the baby chicken. :)
I decided to skip the part about the monkeys for now because 1) we were in the car, 2) it was too short a trip for all of the "whys," and 3)she insists on sitting in the way-back, so the "whys" are interspersed (liberally) with "huh?"
are you prepared for the grandma-response to this "chicken and egg" scenario?
you know who :)
Sure! As long as we keep the evolution part in there, I'm actually open to the chicken or the egg being first. After all, with salt, pepper and a little olive oil, both are delicious.:)
Might be time to get her the book "It's So Amazing," if you haven't yet. All about reproduction, frankly yet gently and with excellent comic-book style illustrations.
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