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A book to help kids understand surrogate mothers
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s added twin girls via a surrogate mother on June 22. The couple named their new daughters Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge. The family also includes big brother James Wilkie, 6. Broderick, 47 and Parker, 44 have been married since 1997.
While the use of surrogates is getting more and more common with celebrities and the rest of us, there is still the question of how to explain the procedure to older siblings.
There are sure to be questions, but the depth of which they are answered will of course depend on the age of the sibling. As with any questions kids ask, it is vital to keep it as simple and honest as possible. Explaining a baby that arrives via a surrogate mother can be explained a lot like that of a child that arrives via adoption.
Children can be told how babies are made with whatever language the parent (and child) is comfortable with. For example: It takes an egg from a woman and sperm from a man to join together to make a baby. Once the egg and sperm are together, the baby can grow inside the woman’s tummy. Not all babies grow inside their Mommy’s own tummy but they are all loved the same.
That should be enough of an explanation for a younger sibling but, older ones may ask more questions and require more details. With kids, it is best to let them ask the questions, giving them honest answers over assuming they need more info and giving them more than they can comprehend. If they are given basic facts when they are young, they will feel more comfortable asking for more details as they age.
Most kids need to hear they are loved and that their siblings are as well which matters a lot more than in whose tummy they grew.
Books to help young children understand surrogates ~
The Kangaroo Pouch: A Story About Gestational Surrogacy For Young Children
A tiny itsy bitsy gift of life, an egg donor story
One for parents considering using a surrogate ~
Surrogacy Was the Way: Twenty Intended Mothers Tell Their Stories
Comments
I like the explaintion
Very interesting topic idea. I hadn't realized that there were specific books for children about surrogates, but I think it is a wonderful concept.
Great topic and advice. Children are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Knowing your child is key to giving them an answer they can work out in their little mind.
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