One day my daughter asked, “Where do babies come from?” I explained it gently, telling her that babies grow inside their mother’s tummy and are brought into the world with love and care. She accepted this proudly—until the next day, when a boy in her class told her that babies actually come from cabbages.
Certain she knew the truth, my daughter explained everything she’d learned to him. He wasn’t convinced.
The following day, his parents called and asked to meet. I was nervous, worried I’d caused a problem. Instead, they explained that the “cabbage story” was a long-standing family tradition meant to keep the topic lighthearted. Their son had been upset after learning another version and feeling his story was suddenly “wrong.”
I suggested a compromise. “What if we tell the kids that babies are brought into the world with love,” I said, “and the cabbage garden is a magical place where families’ dreams grow? That way, both stories can exist.”
They loved the idea.
A week later, the school held a “Garden of Stories” day. The children drew pictures of where life begins—cabbages, stars, families holding hands.
My daughter smiled and said, “Stories are like seeds. They grow in different ways, but they all make the world beautiful.”
The boy nodded and added, “And sometimes, even cabbages can grow magic.”
