Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kids that sometimes, a mom doesn't want her child anymore for a variety of reasons and undergoes a procedure called abortion where her child is killed in the womb. That seemed to suffice for now (they're 8 and 7).

This is what I said, too.

+1 It's interesting so see so many folks who are "pro-choice" are so squeamish explaining the facts of abortion to their children. It's not really all that complicated. I've explained abortion to my kids and it comes up each year when we go to the March for Life.

It's not a matter of being squeamish, but a matter of maturity in understanding reality. I used to be "anti-choice" as a teenager and young adult, because I was a naive kid who thought that things weren't complicated, as you say. But things changed for me maybe around 19-20. Not from personal experience, but from learning that life is infinitely more complicated, people's circumstances are painful and difficult, I have not walked another woman's shoes, and that pregnancy should never be forced through fruition. You may simplify it and tell your child that a woman getting an abortion was a slut and didn't want to have a child so she killed it because she's a baby-hating lazy person. But an 8-year old may not understand that a woman felt pressured to have sex with her boyfriend, he told her that he's love and care for her and marry her, and then one day disappears after a positive pregnancy test. She has trouble keeping up with the financial maintenance of her car just to be able to get to her two jobs, let alone the money and time to take care of a child on her own. Or an 8-year old may not understand the married parents struggling with taking care of their special needs son, and then accidentally get pregnant again and are drained taking care of the child they DO have, let alone a 2nd. So in order to be able to provide the best life for the child they DO have, they felt it critical to terminate the second pregnancy. Those parents must totally hate life, right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kids that sometimes, a mom doesn't want her child anymore for a variety of reasons and undergoes a procedure called abortion where her child is killed in the womb. That seemed to suffice for now (they're 8 and 7).

This is what I said, too.

+1 It's interesting so see so many folks who are "pro-choice" are so squeamish explaining the facts of abortion to their children. It's not really all that complicated. I've explained abortion to my kids and it comes up each year when we go to the March for Life.

So true. Pro-choice people either feel the need to obscure the facts to make it palatable to children. If you are pro-choice- fully own it. It is the mother's choice to kill the baby/fetus in her womb. That's why the protesters' pictures are so jarring, because it shows a dead baby. We would be horrified if someone did that to a newborn, but 4 months earlier, we declare it a women's right issue.

I'm completely comfortable explaining abortion at 5-6 months to an 8 year old. 24 weeks is the benchmark for viability. An abortion that occurs after 24 weeks of pregnancy is very rare. It is less than 1% of all abortions or may 1000-1100 abortions per year. Those abortions are typically traumatic and heart-breaking for the pregnant woman. They are done because the pregnancy is killing her or because the fetus is dead or non-viable. That's a terrible tragedy, but it would be an even worse tragedy if abortion was not available. The woman would end up dead from her pregnancy or forced to deliver a non-viable baby.

Anonymous wrote:I just told the truth at this age. "Sometimes when you have a baby in your belly you don't want it so you go to the doctor and get it taken out." Done.

Um. That's not called abortion. That's induced childbirth.

I don't think there is a non-sad, non-at least slightly scary way to explain abortion to a child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kids that sometimes, a mom doesn't want her child anymore for a variety of reasons and undergoes a procedure called abortion where her child is killed in the womb. That seemed to suffice for now (they're 8 and 7).

This is what I said, too.

+1 It's interesting so see so many folks who are "pro-choice" are so squeamish explaining the facts of abortion to their children. It's not really all that complicated. I've explained abortion to my kids and it comes up each year when we go to the March for Life.

So true. Pro-choice people either feel the need to obscure the facts to make it palatable to children. If you are pro-choice- fully own it. It is the mother's choice to kill the baby/fetus in her womb. That's why the protesters' pictures are so jarring, because it shows a dead baby. We would be horrified if someone did that to a newborn, but 4 months earlier, we declare it a women's right issue.

It's not about being squeamish. It's about trying to explain a complicated issue at a developmentally appropriate level. I explain war the same way. I haven't told my 8 year old that we deliberately kill children in war, either. These are things they will learn as they get older.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kids that sometimes, a mom doesn't want her child anymore for a variety of reasons and undergoes a procedure called abortion where her child is killed in the womb. That seemed to suffice for now (they're 8 and 7).

This is what I said, too.

+1 It's interesting so see so many folks who are "pro-choice" are so squeamish explaining the facts of abortion to their children. It's not really all that complicated. I've explained abortion to my kids and it comes up each year when we go to the March for Life.

So true. Pro-choice people either feel the need to obscure the facts to make it palatable to children. If you are pro-choice- fully own it. It is the mother's choice to kill the baby/fetus in her womb. That's why the protesters' pictures are so jarring, because it shows a dead baby. We would be horrified if someone did that to a newborn, but 4 months earlier, we declare it a women's right issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I told my kids that sometimes, a mom doesn't want her child anymore for a variety of reasons and undergoes a procedure called abortion where her child is killed in the womb. That seemed to suffice for now (they're 8 and 7).

This is what I said, too.

+1 It's interesting so see so many folks who are "pro-choice" are so squeamish explaining the facts of abortion to their children. It's not really all that complicated. I've explained abortion to my kids and it comes up each year when we go to the March for Life.

Anonymous wrote:For those who say 8 is waaaaaay to young to talk about this, you do realize that the 8 year old in question may very well hit puberty in the next 2 or 3 years. I'd much rather address questions and concerns as they come up, in an honest but age appropriate manner.
I don't know many 8 year olds who will happily accept diversions. They aren't toddlers. they may move on, but they'll be completely aware that you ignored their question and refused to answer. Not the kind of relationship I want to form with my kids.

+1

If they are old enough to ask the question, they are old enough to hear an honest, simple answer. Kids ask questions when they are ready for the information and want it.

You can be the kind of parent who they can trust to answer their questions, or you can be the kind of parent who is untrustworthy and who will avoid answering questions and who might lie to them. That's not the kind of relationship I want with my kids, either.

For those who say 8 is waaaaaay to young to talk about this, you do realize that the 8 year old in question may very well hit puberty in the next 2 or 3 years. I'd much rather address questions and concerns as they come up, in an honest but age appropriate manner.
I don't know many 8 year olds who will happily accept diversions. They aren't toddlers. they may move on, but they'll be completely aware that you ignored their question and refused to answer. Not the kind of relationship I want to form with my kids.