Navigating parenting can be a wild ride, and sometimes, a little humor can lighten the load. One mom recently took to a parenting forum to vent her frustrations about a zoo outing that turned unexpectedly awkward for her and her son. The post was humorously titled, “Should I Complain to the Zoo About the Rude Monkeys?”
Mumsnet, a popular UK parenting site, is filled with relatable moments and amusing anecdotes—like the one this mom shared. She recounted a day at the zoo with her son, whom she has been teaching the importance of privacy when it comes to personal matters. Imagine her shock when they encountered male primates engaging in some very public displays of affection!
“I’ve spent years teaching DS2 (that’s dear son 2, in case you weren’t familiar with the lingo) that certain activities are meant for private areas. But there they were, half of the male primates making it hard to keep a straight face, rubbing against branches, and one even right up against the glass having a go at it!” she expressed in disbelief.
She pondered whether it was unreasonable to request the zoo to put up some sort of warning sign for visitors. After all, how does one explain such behavior to a child? It’s a tricky situation! When confronted with similar situations, like seeing bats at a museum engaging in their own version of a party, this mom opted for the classic “they need their privacy” line. But how do you give the same explanation when it’s monkeys or tortoises? “Then we walked into the reptile house and saw two tortoises going at it. Trust me, the sounds they make are not something you want to explain to a curious child,” she added.
It turns out that this isn’t an isolated incident. Many parents have found themselves in similar predicaments, grappling with how to address animals acting on instinct in a zoo setting. While a warning sign like “CAUTION: ANIMALS MAY ENGAGE IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY” might be amusing, most parents would probably prefer to tackle the conversation head-on rather than explain the sign.
Perhaps this mom was just trying to lighten the mood for her fellow forum users with her humorous post, and if so, we appreciate her for it. If you’re interested in learning more about navigating parenting challenges, check out our other blog posts, such as those on home insemination and pregnancy resources, like this excellent article from Kindbody.
In summary, while it can be challenging to explain the realities of nature to children during a zoo visit, humor and honesty might be the best approach. After all, animals will be animals!