The Day Will Come...

Posted by Vulnadia on Jan 28, 2009 at 07:31 PM For some reason or another, I just realized something rather odd. I mean, of course I am a seasoned mother of multiples. I have been for almost three living years and exactly 34 weeks of gestation. I have weathered many strange questions, and been the subject of many of a debate, ranging from people asking if my children were twins, then arguing over my answer, to what gender my children are and if they are identical or not. It's things like that which have basically made me into an agoraphic lady. I often worry about the effect that may have on my tiny trio, but the benefits of staying home outweigh the harm, really. But tonight, I realized that one day soon, I will face a weird yet very legitimate question. My kids will want to know what being born "Triplet" really means. I mean, honestly, isn't that a question only they can really answer? Am I really qualified to try and answer this for them. It never occurred to me that I will have to explain this to them. I mean, it is a very advanced and difficult thing to define, really. If I screw it up, will I upset them and scar them forever? I really don't want this to define who they are, even though it is a part of their being. I see them as individuals and would like the rest of the world to see them that way as well, yet they are still triplets. What does it really mean, though? It is, at face value, three babies sharing a mother, womb and birthdate, being born together. Webster's defines it as, "one of three children or offspring born at one birth" but I prefer this definition as an alternate, " a group of three elementary particles (as positive, negative, and neutral pions) with different charge states but otherwise similar properties." But seriously, how am I going to explain this to them? How will it affect them? Hopefully they won't really ask about this until they are old enough to sort of understand abstract concepts a bit better, but what if they do? I mean, most Mums dread hearing, "Mommy, where do babies come from?" Here I sit dreading hearing, "Mommy, why do people call us Triplet and what does it mean?" What would you tell them and how? I have a lot to think about, don't I?