Since September the girls have been at junior school (I think that’s 3rd grade to US readers). The change in them has been amazing: they’re just drinking up facts and information like… well, like things that drink up facts and information, I suppose.
This morning, as they were getting dressed, they wanted to know about mammals. No, actually, that’s a lie: Hannah wanted to shave her arms because they’re “all hairy” and we sort of managed to divert the issue by talking about mammals. I told them all mammals have hair all over their bodies.
“What, even pigs?”
Yes, I said, even pigs.
“Even whales?”
Even whales. (Please don’t correct me if I’m wrong: I’m a parent, not a zoologist. Remember the primary aim here was not to educate, it was to prevent shaving.)
“Even monkeys?” And so on.
I asked them if they knew the two other things that all mammals have in common. They ummed and ahhed for a bit. Nicola hinted it had something to do with babies.
“They all like babies?” said Lauren.
No, we said. Think about what they give birth to…
“Kittens?” said Hannah.
I think at this point we gave them the live young vs. eggs thing as a freebie. (It was getting close to school time.) This just left the milk thing.
“Think about the little piglets we saw at the farm,” I suggested.
“It’s got something to do with boobies…” hinted Nicola.
“And babies…” I added.
“Oh, I know,” said Hannah with a confident nod, “babies don’t have boobies!”
“And neither do piglets!” chimed Lauren.
Genius.