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April 1, 2009 at 3:46 pm #590332
NewGuyMemberAs spring break is in full swing, I took my little ones to the zoo the other day. Imagine my horror as my daughter pointed out the “aroused elephant” on display.
How could I have best responded to her natural curiousity?
Discuss.
April 1, 2009 at 4:06 pm #662953
JanSParticipantoh, that’s a good question. Not knowing how old your little one is – well, I suppose it would depend. You might have said to her that it is just his “little boy parts”, and never, even approach what is actually happening, i.e., sex. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best…they don’t need detail.
I remember going to the zoo, walking past one of the large cat displays, where they were right in the middle of “the act” noises and all, and the sweet gramma who was dragging her grandson away as fast as she could while he was asking “Gramma, what’re they doing?”…at the top of his voice. Was a pretty humorous scene.
And don’t get me started on the tortoises getting it on…..wow, is all I can say – lol.
So, NewGuy…what DID you say?
April 1, 2009 at 4:08 pm #662954
AnonymousInactiveFirst things first NewGuy. Elephants are as easily aroused as any other marsupial, and it is the peak of marsupial dating season right now.
“I’m a grower, not a show-er” – I saw that on craigslist once.
Second, didn’t they give you zooblinders at the gate when you went in? They’re a great tool to keep the kids from witnessing spring fever, and look like zebra, monkey, oscelot, lemur, and elephant. They won’t even realize they’re missing something because they’re having so much fun being their favorite zoo animal!
April 1, 2009 at 4:11 pm #662955
ErikParticipantI remember seeing the lions going at it when I was a little kid.
Told my momma “hey look, the lions are humpin!”
April 1, 2009 at 4:25 pm #662956
RainyDay1235MemberTell her the truth. Better to hear the facts from the start than rumors later on (and those start early!). “Honey, that elephant is a boy and that is his penis. She’ll say “oh,okay – can we go see the penguins now?”
April 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm #662957
AnonymousInactiveI disagree with eyeglasses. There’s enough opportunity in the future to be honest. Right now you need to provide moderated answers to questions kids are too young to fully comprehend.
Besides, it makes you appear to have all the answers which is key as you need to enjoy parenting while you can, knowing that they’ll turn into teenagers and everything you do makes you look like a fat balding idiot with body odor.
April 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm #662958
JanSParticipantRainyDay..exactly…keep it simple. While we think, OMG, now I have to explain, they just want a simple answer, and then move on :) Come to think of it, I’m the same way, too, sometimes :)
April 1, 2009 at 4:29 pm #662959
NewGuyMemberUm hmm…”can we go see the penguin’s penis now”? I foresee this as piquing her interest unnecessarily so. First it’s the elephant, then the penguins. Ohmylanta, we’ll have to bypass the monkey house altogether.
April 1, 2009 at 4:32 pm #662960
austinMember“Zookeeper Zookeeper those monkeys are killing each other!”
April 1, 2009 at 4:32 pm #662961
IrukandjiParticipantGrab yourself a copy of the fabulous book “First Comes Love”.
Age-appropriate factual info is the way to go. What’s he doing? “He’s up to the business of making babies. Ugly business, eh? Think you’ll ever do that?” Roll camera! Play video over and over again when curious child hits 13.
April 1, 2009 at 4:43 pm #662962
AnonymousInactive……and when they’re 13 they’ll throw the VHS tape at you and continue to not do their homework.
April 1, 2009 at 5:58 pm #662963
CatPMemberWell now, all of the elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo (and Point Defiance, also, if I’m not mistaken) are FEMALE, so I don’t know what you were seeing, but it sure wasn’t a penis!
One time at WPZ we watched a pair of giraffes mating. A little awkward, but very impressive tangling of anatomy.
April 1, 2009 at 6:20 pm #662964
trensuelaMemberApril 1, 2009 at 8:09 pm #662965
DianeParticipantwhat a fascinating thread
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rainyday; you are right on; as a Child Psych, specialize in the wee ones; honest/brief/move on is best; thankfully these days most parents and child care centers teach children real names of body parts; kids are very curious, within limited scope of their understanding; from early stages of learning to speak, many know accurate terminology; by prek, many get how animals mate
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this thread totally cracked me up when it got to CatP, all elephants are female
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I searched zoo website; can’t find info; called zoo; waiting call from docent in the know about WPZ elephants
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it was funny when operator asked what I wanted to know about the elephants; bet they don’t get this question everyday
April 1, 2009 at 8:20 pm #662966
gunnerddogMemberLL,
Elephants are not marsupials. They are pachyderms. Secondly, JanS…
April 1, 2009 at 8:22 pm #662967
JanSParticipantgunnerdog..JanS here…that was Mr. Luigilinguini re:marsupials :)
April 1, 2009 at 8:22 pm #662968
trensuelaMemberI always thought that elephants were marmots myself
April 1, 2009 at 8:24 pm #662969
gunnerddogMemberMy bad
April 1, 2009 at 8:32 pm #662970
JanSParticipanthowever…that video…get that little guy some glasses for g-d’s sake.
and picture him 5 times as big, in the amphibian house at the zoo, and his voice has changed..and they’re getting it on…you have no idea how loud that is – lol..definitely drew a crowd.
It was a long time ago, but there is actually an archived story somewhere about the giant tortoise at Woodland Park Zoo, falling off while doing the wild thing, and breaking his leg – lol..they actually used a skateboard strapped onto him so he could get around :)
April 1, 2009 at 8:34 pm #662971
DianeParticipantI just talked with WPZ docent
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CatP is correct; they only have female elephants; and there are only 3 (I thought there were a lot more)
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Apparently they are “not set up to accommodate males”
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so what did NewGuy see that looked like a penis? WPZ docent says, “I have no idea m’am”
April 1, 2009 at 8:44 pm #662972
angelescrestParticipantSo if it’s not elephants, it’s dogs or birds–or their parents. They’re mating; my kids didn’t/don’t question it too much.
April 1, 2009 at 9:05 pm #662973
AnonymousInactiveMarsupials, pachyderms – same thing. They all have 4 legs and like spring a little too much.
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