Boob Talk: Teaching Older Children About Breastfeeding

Today my four year old was asking me about my boobs. I don't want her to be scared of breasts, I just want her to understand them. Recently we went to visit some good friends of ours. She got to see a little girl nursing, and I'm so glad she did. I nursed my babies, but didn't nurse them for as long as I wanted to. I ended up with breast infections that left me very ill. I nursed two of my children for six months. Well, today Willow wanted to see my breasts, and I told her "Sorry, I'm not just going to show them to you just because you want to see them!". I want her to realize she can't just show them to people whenever they ask. I am not completely shy and we have our own house, so I do walk around in the buff sometimes. Partly so she knows it's ok behind closed doors, and partly so I can dry off after a shower. The truth is, I want her to love her body, and I want her to feel comfortable talking about it to the right people. I also want her to know the importance of breastfeeding. If she decides to have children, I want her to be educated and to not feel like it's wrong to nurse and use her breasts for the right reason. I let her know how amazing it is how mothers can make milk for their babies, just like the mom on Ponyo, which is one of her favorite movies. I talked to her for a little while about it all, and she seems very satisfied with our talk. She also laughed and said "Daddy has boobs, too!" Haha! Out of the mouths of babes...