The phrase "the birds and the bees" is a term used to explain the mechanics of reproduction to younger children, relying on the imagery of bees pollinating and eggs hatching to substitute for a more technical explanation of sexual intercourse. It is a way of avoiding the inevitable question that every parent dreads: Where do babies come from?
It's not clear when the phrase was first used or how it gained popularity. It doesn't mean that parents are explaining how birds and bees reproduce. There is a vague connection between human sexuality and eggs and pollination, which can cause confusion among children.
The story typically involves bees pollinating flowers, symbolizing male fertilization, and the birds laying eggs, which equates to female ovulation. A baby is created when a bee sting a bird.
There are many allusions to the phrase in literature and song. One of the early references to this bird and bees as a means of reproduction is a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
All Nature seems to be working. Slugs leave their hideaway.
Birds are on the wing and bees are stirring.
Sleeping in the open air.
He wears on his face a dream of spring.
I'm the only unbusy thing.
No honey, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.
The 1875 set of essays, Birds and Bees, Sharp Eyes and other Papers was an attempt to provide children with simple explanations of nature, but there is no attempt at sex education.
The birds and bees were described in a section of The Story of Life, which was widely distributed between 1893 and 1930. In her explanation of reproduction to her young daughters, she used images of blue eggs in the robin's nest, the wind blowing pollen dust from one plant to the other, and bees gathering honey from the flowers.
There is a direct reference in Cole Porter's lyrics to the 1928 song "Let's Do It".
It is nature.
It's simply telling us to fall in love.
That is why birds and bees do it.
The educated fleas do it.
Let's do it, let's fall in love.
A Frenchman was born sophisticated, he knows about the birds and the bees. French films are made on a basis of artistic understanding that doesn't hamper the story.
The first broadcast of "The Simpsons" in 1995 included a reference to the phrase. The Sun is out, birds are singing, bees are trying to have sex with them, and 10-year-old Bart Simpson comments on this in the episode.
The phrase "the birds and the bees" has a history that can be found in this article. Family Education has an article about teaching kids about the birds and bees. Check out five of the best books for explaining the birds and bees with this article from Maternity and Infant Family.
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