" I'm scared," says a little voice over my phone late yesterday afternoon, " I don't want to be a Mummy, I don't want to have a baby, I'm only 7, she shouldn't have done it."
Of course I recognised the voice, it was Henry, my nephew speaking.
So, I asked what was troubling him, what had happened?
I got this in reply, " Lara kissed me, she kissed me and now I'm going to have a baby because that's how babies are made."
Trying my hardest to stifle laughing my head off I asked this scared little voice, " Who told you'd be having a baby because Lara kissed Mate?"
"The boys in my Class told me, that's who," came a tearful reply.
"Well," I answered, "those boys are wrong, Mate, they're very, very wrong you can't be having a baby because you are a boy NOT a girl, Lara can't be having a baby either because she is not a woman, only grown up women can have babies and being kissed doesn't make you pregnant, have you spoken to Mum and Dad about this at all?"
"No, " says the little voice, "I didn't want to scare them, I wanted to talk to you because you are older than them so you must know about these things, that's why."
I asked him where his Mum and Dad were and was told that they were having coffee on the back veranda, then said to him, " Well, you know I'm always here for you anytime you need to ask me something or want my help don't you, I'm so glad that you rang me, do you feel better now, Mate."
"Yes, " came the usual cheerful voice, " But what if Lara kisses me again."
"Did like it when she kissed you?" I asked.
" It was kinda nice, sorta."
"Well, if she kisses you again, don't be scared, just smile and tell her thank you."
I held off until I was certain that he'd be in bed and asleep, then rang Matt and Naomi to let them know about it all.
Naomi said to Matt, " I think we need to start talking with Henry about Girls and Boys, etc, don't you, he seems to be growing up quicker than we thought."