Where Did I Come From? Answering the Question From Guest Author Danika Cooley
Preschool-aged children are naturally curious. I mean, really, how many questions do you get asked each day? Why is broccoli good for me? What is this for? Can I pour that? Fielding twenty thousand questions a day is all part of the preschool parenting experience.
Wonderfully Made: God's Story of Life from Conception to Birth {Preschoolers and Peace}
Danika Cooley is a mother of four, none of whom were delivered via stork (though two were dropped off on the front porch). She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest where they homeschool their youngest two children. In addition to her new book, Wonderfully Made, Danika is the author of When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther (Fortress Press, 2015), and Bible Road Trip.
Image: The Stork, 1885, Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885), Public Domain
There's just one question that has made parents queasy for centuries. Where did I come from? It's this question that has caught parents off guard, and brought about a plethora of strange and fantastic tales. For centuries parents in Europe answered the question by telling children that they were delivered by storks. The tale was so established in European mythology that Hans Christian Andersen based his 1838 moralistic tale The Storks on it. My own mother answered my questioning by allowing our cat to give birth to a litter of kittens and then having me "assist" the cat in giving birth.
"Where did I come from?"
The question Where did I come from? is an important one. Our answer to that question has theological, scientific, and relational ramifications for our kids. It's not something we should brush off or gloss over. In fact, it's a question we should plan for and consider answering before our children even think to ask it.When my children were small, I used to tell them the story of their beginnings, detailing how they grew in my womb, or in the womb of another (I have two bio-kids and two heart-kids). I'd explain that God planned them from the very beginning, talk about their development, and then explain (non-graphically) their birth. It was such a special time, and a favorite tale in our home. Instead of Where did I come from?, I often heard Tell me again how I grew inside of you! or When did my heart start beating?.
It was this special time with my kids that inspired my new book Wonderfully Made: God's Story of Life from Conception to Birth. As much as I enjoyed sharing the story of life in the womb with my kids, it would have been wonderful to have had a readily available visual aid, Scripture verses, and exact scientific information. I thought this special time was so precious, that I wanted to be able to share it with other parents--with you!
What about the S-E-X question?
How did I get into your womb? is an important question, and it deserves an answer. I found, though, that my kids didn't ask about the road to conception until a little later. Wonderfully Made is all about life in the womb, and while it briefly touches on the beginnings of life (created by God as an expression of love within marriage), the book isn't about that. Wonderfully Made is all about development within the womb. You can see the very first page addresses the conception issue succinctly. Of course, parents can add their own dialogue as appropriate. Likewise, the birth process is not detailed.
A lasting memory...
One of my fondest memories of the preschool years with my boys is the time spend answering the question Where did I come from?. Now in middle school, my youngest two still sometimes enjoy listening to the story of how God took the time to form them, purposefully and intimately. They smile when I talk about how anxious I was to meet them. May your children, too, never doubt just how wonderfully made they are!
Wonderfully Made Giveaway ~ Ends 3/21/16
Void where prohibited by law. Must be at least 18 years of age. This giveaway is in no away associated with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. No purchase necessary for entry. Odds are determined by the number of entries. Selected winners will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prizes or another winner will be drawn.
Danika Cooley is a mother of four, none of whom were delivered via stork (though two were dropped off on the front porch). She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest where they homeschool their youngest two children. In addition to her new book, Wonderfully Made, Danika is the author of When Lightning Struck!: The Story of Martin Luther (Fortress Press, 2015), and Bible Road Trip.
Image: The Stork, 1885, Carl Spitzweg (1808-1885), Public Domain
