Over a million of women worldwide end their pregnancies every year, either through abortion pills or surgery. There are many reasons for why women end their pregnancies. However, taking motherhood very seriously is often one of those reasons.
Some have commitments, dreams, or limitations that are not compatible with raising a flourishing child. While many others want to be the best mothers they can be, to the children they already have. Likewise, men who support their partners in aborting an unwanted pregnancy or an ill-timed often care deeply about fatherliness, and when circumstances are better they get prepared to have children.
This shows that many parents have experienced abortions in their past at least once or more. If you’re amongst these parents or just someone who believes that accessing safe abortion pills helps men and women and families to thrive- when and how should you explain this to your children?
Match the conversation to the child:
According to a psychologist, and a mother, it is never too early to tell your children about your experience regarding termination of pregnancy or about sexuality and family planning more in general, should be done in a way that fits their development stage. At every age, mother and father must find ways to talk with your child about hope and plans, loss and disappointment, responsibility and choosing and what it means to be a loving family together. You must share your values and teach your children about concepts like enough and too much, healthy, and not yet. Pregnancy termination involves all of these things and being a parent, you know how to converse because you know your child.
Therefore, talking with your child regarding abortion is like any other discussion, in which you share your values and thoughts about how to wisely and well, balance and care and compassion and love. You keep it simple and take cues from your kid about when you have said enough for now.
Discussing pregnancy termination is also a matter of storytelling, as stories about your life (or the lives of other people) are just those stories, which again is something known to children. While thinking about how to tell your child about a pregnancy termination, it can be helpful to think about what other kinds of stories your child is able to take up.
Things that offer clues, which can help you telling abortion story in words that make the experience clear:
• The kinds of words and concepts you use, to talk about the day and current event.
• Vocabulary your child speaks to share his/her experience.
• Books that hit the sweet spot when your child reads to herself or when you read aloud.