With 4 kids (ages 4 to 11), my husband and I don't have a lot of free time to "visit" with each other, so we have to get creative, waiting until we are sure everyone else is asleep. It worked well for a while, but recently, when we were smack dab in the middle of a particularly enjoyable visit, we heard a tiny voice say, "Is Mommy okay? Why is she breathing like that?" Talk about a mood killer.
My quick-thinking husband, replied, "Oh it's just mommy's asthma." (I do have asthma, so it wasn't a completely out-of-the-blue response.) My younger kids accepted this, but my oldest and savviest daughter knew what was happening. I have always been very frank with her, and she knows she can ask me anything. As a result, when I actually had the talk that got specific about sex, it went smoothly and wasn't at all awkward.
After that first interruption, my husband and I were having another late-night visit. This time, instead of a small voice, we heard a clear voice say, "Um, can you and mommy get a handle on her asthma and maybe keep it down a little?" She totally busted us, and was using our own words back at us. Fortunately, since we had already covered these topics, she wasn't traumatized, even though she knew perfectly well what her parents were doing. My awesome and clever husband, quickly responded with, "That'll teach you to go to bed when you're supposed to." She laughed, and we laughed. She went back to bed.
My husband and I agreed we would always talk to our kids about the important things. Because we have followed through with that philosophy, what could have been a ridiculously awkward situation turned into a funny anecdote. I'm thankful that I have such a good relationship with my kids. I'm even more thankful that I have a husband who is clever and really good at "visitation"!
Amelia
Our Kids Overheard Our Lovemaking
