Just a Light Lunch

The kids were eating lunch on the porch, chattering away about this and that, while I swept the living room. Suddenly Adrian called "Annabel! Did Jonas used to have a dad?" Lord. I went out and sat down with them. With the approaching birth of this new baby, I've been wondering if it would bring up paternity-related questions from Jonas. I've been preparing my answers, but didn't expect I would be answering these questions through Adrian instead of Jonas!

Me: "What was your question, Adrian?"

Adrian: "Did Jonas used to have a dad?"

Me: "Well, there are all different kinds of dads. Everyone has a mom and a dad they're born from. Some people live with both their mom and their dad. Some people's mom and dad live in two different places. Sometimes they spend more time with their mom than their dad, or more time with their dad than their mom. There are moms and dads you're born from, and sometimes there are different moms or dads who take care of you.

Jonas: "My dad is Oliver."

Me: "Actually, Oliver is your uncle. You have a dad you were born from, but he doesn't live with us--"

Adrian: "That's like me! I live with my mom and my dad lives someplace else!"

Me: "Yes, except Jonas' dad has never met him. And now he has AJ, who is another kind of dad. He takes care of him, and comforts him, and helps him grow up."

Adrian: "Why hasn't Jonas' dad ever met him?"

Me: "Because he can't take care of him in the way a little boy needs to be taken care of. Sometimes people have babies, but they still don't know how to take care of them."

Adrian: "Do you know how to take care of a baby?"

Me: "Yes."

Adrian: "Why?"

Me: "Because I'm lucky."

Adrian: (laughs) "Because you took care of Jonas when he was a baby. Just like my mom knows how to take care of a baby because she took care of me when I was a baby."

Me: "That's right! Families come in all different ways. Do you have any more questions?"

At that point, Max let out a huge fart, which got them all giggling hysterically and changed the subject. After lunch, during story time, I read them a little book called "Who's in a Family?" It explains all different kinds of family arrangements in kid-friendly terms, ending with "Who's in a family? The people who love you the most!"

Whew! How did I do?