3 Year Old Asked, "Why Is There Blood?" May Be TMI.

At this age, she isn't really looking for a health lesson. I would just tell her, "it's from mommy and it's okay. It's not an ouchy". Leave it at that. If she's still confused, tell her as little as possible but still answer.

My son saw feminine hygiene wrappers and such in the bathroom trash (with 3 females in the house it was bound to happen). He asked what they were, and I simply replied that they were things for big girls and women. He was perfectly fine with that answer. :)

I'd wait to see if she asks again and take it from there.

My son was probably 2 1/2 or 3 when he asked if he needed to use a tampon (they were out next to the toilet paper, he felt like he should know how to use all the supplies).

Don't stress. She want's to know for the same reason you want her in the bathroom with you as part of the potty training process. She's trying to figure out this whole potty process for her by watching you.

So give her an answer that 1) is truthful 2) is age appropriate 3) leaves her LESS confused.

I'd go with "I'm not hurt. Grown-up women and older girls make extra blood sometimes in case they are ready to grow a baby. I'm not having a baby now, so the blood just comes out. It doesn't hurt."

MIne was four when that exact same thing happened at our house. I told her that every month a woman's body prepares for a baby by building up extra tissue and blood inside her uterus to help the baby grow. If there is no baby, then her body gets rid of the extra and starts over again.

I think I told my son "that's how grown up women's bodies work, just happens once a month. It's not an ouchie and doesn't hurt".

When he was a little older and asked again, told him it was called a period, body gets ready to make a baby, and that's what happen when a baby isn't made.

"Mommy's have extra blood so they can grow babies."

It helps if WE'RE not embarrassed by natural body functions.
You just say it happens every month for adult women and it's nothing to worry about.

Ahh, I have discussed this many times with my kids when they saw it. I tell them that adult girls bleed once a month, unless they are growing babies. This is totally normal and does not hurt me at all (which is not really the truth..darn cramps, but it does not put me in danger). They were always ok with this answer. They see blood and think bad things. As long as they know that it is not hurting you and is normal...they seems to be just fine with it.

"Sometimes mommies bleed".

I don't think you need to make it more complicated than that. She just needs to know that it's normal and not a scary thing.

No need to get into detailed human bodies... She sees blood, she relates blood to booboo's and is concerned for you, mom.

Just be frank and reassure her that it's normal for mommies! Some explanations below were spot on.

I used the "extra blood" line many times, although I downplayed the "not having a baby" because it prompted too much extra conversation among friends who said it ("Are you having a baby this month, Mommy?").

I think the idea of extra blood works fine because it covers you for other situations - for example, when my child accompanied me to the blood donation center, I explained that we have blood to spare and our bodies make more, so we can choose to give some away to people who need it. He loved going and watching the bags collect blood to donate. It demystified blood, took away the fear of it and the fear of needles, and set the stage for various types of giving "of ourselves" and not just money. It helped to emphasize that our bodies have incredible healing power, which covered us for cuts/wounds, illnesses, broken bones, etc.

I don't thin you have to make a big deal of it but just say there are different reasons why extra blood shows up in the toilet, the underwear, the nose, etc. Let her know it's a good idea to let you know if it happens to her anytime but most of the time it's nothing.

I would have done as the other moms who suggested just saying it's something that happens to moms, and leave it at that. At three, that would likely be enough of an explanation. I never volunteered more information than they required.

If I had gone on about babies and blood etc. mine at three would have been confused. Someone once went on about C-sections to one of my kids when she was too young (arg) thinking they were just answering her question and to this day she says she doesn't want to have babies (cutting open stomach) so you have to watch how much info they can handle.

You say "mommy is on her period". She will either ask more or not. If she asks more, answer in a fashion she can understand. "Mommys bleed when they grow up, but it doesnt hurt, so I'm okay!"
The conversation will end pretty quickly, but always remember to answer in juvenile terms.
Of course she will probably tell the next adult she sees that her mom bleeds, lol, but grown ups know this to be a true and not something to be embarassed about.

Thea's answer is just what I told my son. Super simple.

I just told my kids it's something that happens to M. once a month...no more questions were asked. None of my kids are embarrassed by it.

My daughter just turned 12 and has recently had her second cycle. Her friends keep telling her how horrible it will be, but it's ironic that it's not bad for her at all. She used tampons from her first cycle and it really keeps things cleaner. We talk a lot about safety and making sure she changes often enough. I think because of our honest conversations from a younger age she wasn't afraid to try tampons or to go to the store and pick the items she wanted to try.

So I wouldn't go in to detail with her too soon, but I wouldn't wait until she is 10 to start talking about it either.