at home with Jo Frost - October 2012 - (Page 204)

| why, mummy?| smart answers to your Kids’ trickiest questions Jo Frost to the rescue – check out her short, simple responses to those awkward queries why is the sKy blue? what happens when you die? K ids are endlessly curious, and it can often seem that ‘why?’ is their favourite word! however, toddlers and young children don’t have the capacity to understand complex or scientific answers – and they have short attention spans! so Jo’s advice is to create answers that use simple explanations, as the complexity of the actual truth to some questions will be difficult for youngsters to grasp. ‘When the light comes off the sun and is in the air, it makes it turn blue. Like when we see a rainbow, it means the light is in the air, making different colours.’ why does he have two daddies? ‘Because in some families, children have two daddies, and in some families they have two mummies. Other families have a mum and a dad, and some have just a mum or just a dad. All families are different and that’s what makes them special.’ why can’t i taKe my clothes off? ‘This isn’t a place where people do that. In the swimming pool, we take off our clothes and put on a bathing costume. When we’re at home by ourselves, you can run around in your underwear. When we’re out in public, it’s decent behaviour to keep your clothes on.’ why don’t girls have willies? ‘Because only boys have them, and boys are made differently from girls.’ if kids ask where little girls wee from, let them know they do it from their vagina. some parents call private body parts different names when the child is younger, and then use the proper terms when she’s slightly older, which i think is fine. however, we do want kids to know the correct names for their genitalia, as they’re nothing to be ashamed of. what is sex? ‘Why? What have you heard and where did you hear it?’ i’d focus on correcting what your child has heard rather than explaining sex in detail, as she may not be ready for the birds and the bees conversation. why is water wet? ‘Wet is what water is, like wood is hard. Because water is wet, it can run through things, like the plughole in the bath.’ why do you have hair under there? ‘I’m a big, grown up person. When you’re a big, grown up person, you’ll get hair in different places, too, like under your arms and on your chest, if you’re a boy.’ is father christmas real? ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ i believe it’s important for parents to create the magic in their children’s lives for as long as possible. trust me, you’ll know when your child has realised for himself that father christmas isn’t real. where do babies come from? ‘Babies come from inside mummy’s tummy. That’s where they grow, and then they come out on their birthday.’ why is that man so big/fat? ‘People come in all different shapes and sizes – tall, short, big and small. People are all born different from one another.’ if your child has used the word ‘fat’, please point out that it’s not a kind word to use and it can hurt people’s feelings so she should just avoid using it. ✱ why am i white and my friend’s blacK? ‘Because we’re all born with different skin colours. We’re all made differently, and that’s what makes the world so beautiful – because we’re all different and special.’ 204 | OCTOBER 2012 Words: Jo Frost | PhotograPh: Terry Benson | haIr aNd MaKE-UP for jo frost: Leona Seymour stylIst for KIds: Kellie Daggett | haIr aNd MaKE-UP for KIds: Rachel Jones @ Terri Manduca ‘You meet angels and they take you to a place called heaven. It’s a beautiful place, full of happy things.’ as children don’t understand finality until the ages of five or six, your interpretation of this may vary. some parents will answer the question based on their spiritual beliefs, and some will choose to tell their children more science-based answers Keep answers when they’re a little older. truthful if you children are very visual, so i like to give can and easy them an image of a place that’s peaceful, for Kids to reassuring them it’s where they’ll meet understand other loved ones. you can also give them personal scenarios – for example, talking about pets that have died.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of at home with Jo Frost - October 2012

EDITOR’S LETTER
JO’S HELLO
WHAT’S NEW IN PARENTING?
OCTOBER OUTINGS
SCRUB A DUB DUB
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
NICE WHEELS
FAMOUS MUMS
JO FROST ON THE GO
THE NAUGHTY CORNER
ADULT CLASSES
THE BIG C
YUMMY MUMMY
GET THE LOOK
PUSHY MOTHERS
TOPS ON TREND
MAKE-UP MAGIC
MOTHER WEAR
BABY BUMP BLISS
FIRST-TIME WORRIES
STARTING OUT
ON-THE-MOVE
SIGN UP
MILK TIME
SLEEP EASY
CRY BABY
WHAT’S THAT RASH?
MORE PLEASE
BABY STEPS
JOIN THE GREEN TEAM
COUNTRY COOL
PRE-SCHOOL LEARNING
BUDDING BOOKWORM
AN ITCH TO SCRATCH
‘I’M NOT HUNGRY’
GOING POTTY
BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT
LIVING WITH AUTISM
OPEN WIDE
THE COLD WAR
LET MUMMY KISS IT BETTER
PANIC STATIONS
A CLEAN SWEEP
PROJECT RUNWAY
ORGANISE THIS
TIME FOR BIG SCHOOL
ALL KITTED OUT
WHERE DO BABIES COME FROM?
‘I HATE YOU!’
TWEEN HEALTH
EAT WELL
TRICK OR TREAT
THE GHOST WITH THE MOST
LET’S BAKE
BABY BUDGET
WHAT KIND OF PARENT ARE YOU?
GIVE A CHILD A HOME
FAMILY MEN
GIRL POWER
DAY TRIPPER
GET PACKING
WHY PETS ARE BEST
COMING SOON
STORY CORNER
COUNT TO 10
PEARLS OF WISDOM
QUESTION TIME
KODAK MOMENTS
SURF’S UP
SOUND BITES
STOCKISTS

at home with Jo Frost - October 2012