ANSWERS TO YOUR KIDS' AWKWARD BATHROOM QUESTIONS

There are few places you will get more awkward questions from your small child than in the bathroom. How do you answer these crazy questions? Well, when you get finished blushing, laughing or fainting on floor, you've got to give them an answer that they can understand. Here are a few of the more awkward questions kids might ask in the bathroom and some answers that my keep you from standing there tongue tied and wondering what to say.

WHAT IS POOP?

This is an easy one! Poop is the leftover stuff that passes through our body after we get all the good nutrition we can from the food we eat. It is waste, and it has germs in it, so it's important that we wash our hands after we use the potty.

WHERE DOES THE POOP GO WHEN YOU FLUSH?

Toilets fascinate kids. Actually, toilets kind of fascinate me, too. I'm so glad they work so well and do the job they do. To answer where the poop goes when you flush, explain that pressure and gravity help move it through pipes out of your house and into the sewer and far away. If your kids are older and want more information, check out this tutorial on how toilets work.

WHY DO BOYS PEE STANDING UP?

Girls may wonder why boys pee standing up, and boys may wonder why girls pee sitting down. Just explain that the opening where urine comes out is positioned differently on both boys and girls, and each of us use the potty the way that is cleanest and most comfortable.

WHY ARE YOU SO HAIRY?

Moms and dads have hair in places that little kids don't. Children are likely to notice your body hair, especially if you shower with them or change together at the pool. Try not to be embarrassed by the question, and just tell them that body hair is something everyone gets more of when they go through puberty and start to change from children to grownups.

WHAT IS THAT THING?

Having boy and girl twins, we never really had a single moment where they were shocked by the sight of the anatomy of the opposite sex. But they did eventually want to know why my son had a different set of parts than my daughter.

What exactly is that thing? Whether your kids see another child naked, or walk in on you or your spouse in the bathroom, they'll likely ask that question at some point. Be honest. Explain that boys have a penis, girls have a vagina, and that like most creatures, human beings are male or female and have the body parts to go with their particular sex.

WHY DON'T I HAVE BOOBIES?

Breasts are another body part that fascinate children. As they start to recognize that their bodies are unique and different from others, they will probably wonder why their mom has protruding breasts and their own chests are flat. Again, just explain that breasts grow at puberty, as girls start to become women.

WHY IS IT SO MUCH BIGGER THAN MINE?

Preschoolers love to compare. This circle is bigger than that one. That rectangle is taller than this one. Whether you are talking about breasts, a penis or whatever, if your kids see their mom or dad naked, they will want to know why certain parts are so much bigger than their own. The simplest answer is that all body parts grow as we go from being little kids to adults. Show them how much bigger your feet are than their own as a good example.