Dead bodies in the compost bin

[percy charlie]

Weve just had a death in the family and i tried to explain to my 3 1/2 year old who requires an answer for everything and a reason why that is the answer, that when someone dies they dont come back as she wanted to know when she could next see the person.
The member was cremated and sprinkled in his favourite beauty spot, so in making an explation simple (i said stupidly) that when you die you dont comeback your body gets turned into pot ash plant food or compost.
My daughter thinks is great and amazing but now likes to check the compost bin in hopes of finding a dead body, and told her grandad when he dies hes going in the compost bin to make her flowers grow.
This has generated many a howl of laughter in the family but i will think even more carefully about my explainations in future, even though she now understands dead people dont come back.

[amandaandherveg]

Wow, I don't have a compost in yet. Perhaps I shouldn't be ina hurry to get one! LOL

[janeyo]

I would much rather be put on someone's bin when I go than having to rot away in a cemetary!

My 3 yr old is funny too, he finds dead things fascinating and gasn't yet learned to be squeamish. He will quite happily and matter of factly examine dead things at the side of the road or from the cats.

janeyo

[areia]

can't wait till you explain the birds and the bees,
kids are great sometimes, mines nine now i have had to slooooowly explain a few things already over the years at the moment we are still happy with just knowing it takes a male and a female to make a baby, already had to explain the puberty bit not to graphicaly thank god as long as he has an explaination of something he's happy
im not aloud to change the subject, he found my mother and baby book one day a exclaimed louding "you fibbed mommy you said babies come out the of belly button, thats not a belly button " for which i just turned the pages to the c section bit " seee i didnt fib they do" he didnt say much after that i have loads of others but i think i will get into trouble with some of the stuff he's come out with even if they are hilarious

[areia]

he did get upset when he was about 2, he thought slugs were homeless snails. and tried fitting empty shells on them, few made it though

[HeyWayne]

Thats's quite sweet. We have a garden cemetary next to our allotments, so you're not that far off.

Listening to Radio 2 on the way home and someone had called in stating that their little'un (of about 4 years old I think) had no idea who Dr Who was, or what it's about but will quite happily run around the house shouting " I AM A GARLIC!!!"

Made me chuckle whilst sat in traffic.

[Alison C]

Hehe. My daugter does the I am a garlic thing. I quite vividly remember running round shouting to the power of playschool (from she-ra if anybody remembers).
My girls are still struggling with the death thing, its hard to explain to them the idea that one day their light will go out. But I think the idea that your lifes energy is recycled and fuels the life of others or other things is a really nice idea. It puts a possitive slant on death.

[Winged one]

At the opposite end of the life spectrum, my toddler (just over 2) has been asking about my knitting recently. We have talked about the blanket I made for my sister, because she is going to have a baby. I have now started on one for my SIL and the toddler spotted it and asked what it was (leaning in a very "old man on a pub counter" style on the arm of the chair). When I said a blanket, she asked if SIL was having a baby and was it going to come out of her tummy, and was BIL's (SIL's hubby) baby in his tummy too?!

The logic of little kids to put things together and remember little snippets of info is amazing.

[Shortie]

That reminds me of when I was pregnant with new bubs. Nathan (now big brother) was asking how Bradley would "actually " come out of my tummy so I told him I go into hospital and the doctor has a key that opens a dorr blah, blah, blah.

He kept asking if he could help come and open the the door after that.

..... Ummm..... no

[percy charlie]

We had the birds and bees story already and how babies are born after my friend had one, and when my daughter saw my pill packet in my wash bag on holiday and said but your not poorly. OH told her stops mummy having babies. She knows mummy and daddys do lots of cuddling to get babies hence its now a crime to cuddle on the sofa as she doesnt want a sibling, because when i changed my friends baby (not a nice nappy) and my daughter stood next to it and promptly decided it stinks, i said well thats what babies do and your nappies used to as well, her reply was im a big girl and go to the toilet so i wont smell, but i dont want a bro or sis cos they smell.
She says babies are born by sticking your fingers down your throat and pulling them out, as they live in your tummy like sick does so have to come out the same way!
Had the sense not to expand on that one! LOL!
We had to check the bin this morning and she told grandad take your diabetic tables or you will be in the compost bin tomorrow. Ive now decided that after terrible twos which i never really seemed to had only odd moment that you get funny threes, although at two she did try ordering a pint when on holiday having sunday lunch after OH ordered one she piped up me have a little as well, i could have died this is where i gave in to fizzy drinks and got her a coke as similar colour to beer to fob her of. she does like copying us adults and always chooses the same as what i have for breakfast.
Hope it provided a morning cheer up as the weather failed.

[Flummery]

My little cousin asked the midwife how her baby sister got out of mummy's tummy. "Same way she got in" said the nurse. That entirely satisfied the toddler. Sometimes we overcomplicate things!

[percy charlie]

i wish it did with my little one flummery but i would have got
how was that?
why?
whys it happen like that?
why?
and so on, my little on seems to be very intelligent and wise beyond her years, while i try to answer her enough to satisfy her she is a child and i dont want her to grow up to fast! although they all seem to these days.

[TonyF]

Many years ago there was this seriously left-wing folk group in America called the Weavers, Pete Seeger et al. And one of the members was a guy called Lee Hayes (with whom Pete Seeger wrote 'If I Had A Hammer') who after many years of illness and one brilliant last time round concert, died and was cremated.

And, as was his wish, his ashes were turned into his compost bin. Now if I believed in the hereafter and life after I reckon that's a pretty good deal. I absolutely love where I live and the thought of being here forever, no matter what any subsequent people did, really makes me feel warm inside.

J and I have agreed, when we pop off, half our ashes go into the Thames from the South Bank (we met at Uni just over the river and did a lot of our early seeing each other round the South Bank complexes) and the other half goes into the compost bins here.

[mapcr77]

Once in my sister's house as I was climbing up the stairs I steped on a spider and left it there. Two minutes later my BIL and my 3 y.o. niece went downstairs, and I could hear them from the room.
-"A spider!" yelled my niece.
-"Don't worry, it's dead" said her dad.
-"Why is it dead?" said niece.
-"Because someone stepped on it", replied BIL.
Just as they reached the kitchen, niece said to her nanny "I know why you're mum's in heaven". "Why?" nanny said, and niece replied: "Because someone stepped on her".

[areia]

Once in my sister's house as I was climbing up the stairs I steped on a spider and left it there. Two minutes later my BIL and my 3 y.o. niece went downstairs, and I could hear them from the room.
-"A spider!" yelled my niece.
-"Don't worry, it's dead" said her dad.
-"Why is it dead?" said niece.
-"Because someone stepped on it", replied BIL.
Just as they reached the kitchen, niece said to her nanny "I know why you're mum's in heaven". "Why?" nanny said, and niece replied: "Because someone stepped on her".

that one made me laugh