How does a lesbian couple explain their relationship to their child?

Children literally have no more difficulty understanding two people of the same gender in a relationship than they do two people of the opposite gender. You don't need to do anything special that you wouldn't do if you were in a straight relationship.

You shouldn't need to announce your relationship to them anyway unless you are trying to hide it for some reason.

 

I've been wondering the same thing because I have kids. They have met my girlfriend, but I introduced her as a friend. I feel like if things get serious between us, like moving in together, then I would sit them down and talk to them about things. I openly talk about my girlfriend around my boys, but they do not pay any attention to me.

The thing that bothers me the most is that they think liking the same sex is nasty, so I will talk to them sooner than later. I do not want them growing up thinking that it is okay to talk about gay people or anyone for that matter. I think if your child is 5 years or older then I think it is safe to discuss things with them. My boys are 9 1/2, 6 and 5, so they are pretty smart, and they know what being gay means. So, while it does make things a bit easier, it is still difficult explaining the "Why" to them.

 

Children are naturally open-minded. I would just say that sometimes families have a mommy and a daddy, some have one or the other, and some have two mommies or two daddies. The important thing is that they feel loved by the parents they have. If the child is very young, they don't understand sex anyway. They are, however, much better at understanding love than most adults. I wouldn't sweat it.

 

Say that all families are different, and that love is what determines a family.

 

One of my friends is a child of a lesbian couple. He is absolutely thrilled to share the news that he has two mums. The problem of explanation, though, lies not in the child himself, but in the kids around him. He is mentally ill (well, so am I) and kids bully him, saying that he's ill because he was raised in a house with two mums. This fact makes me even more afraid to come out to my friends. Kids can be scary.

---------- Post added 2nd Nov 2013 at 05:56 AM ----------

I don't think that the child has any objection to that. S/he was born in that house, it's normal for him/her.

---------- Post added 2nd Nov 2013 at 06:01 AM ----------

Of course, same sex relationships are no different than opposite sex relationships, affection is perfectly okay! If the child asks, just say 'We love each other, and having two mums is just the same as having a mum and a dad'.