How do I explain scars when a young child asks about them?

Depends on the age if they are really young I would tell them that I got hurt really bad falling or talk to the parent if the child is a little older so that the parent can explain if that is what they choose

Answer them honestly, but in a way that does not scare/worry the child. Keep it simple, and non-sugestive. Remember, kids grow up and they will learn, in-depth, about it eventually. Keeping them in the dark will only complicate things for them further on in their life and make them upset or think that it is 'okay'.

With kids, it's often best to be as honest as possible. They are far less judgy than adults tend to be. You could try saying something like "This happened to me when I was having a really bad time. I am doing much better now." - oftentimes that's enough. Hugs!

Children have trouble understanding why anyone would inflict pain upon his/herself. It is a very unusual concept to them since most are very innocent and have not experienced any intense struggle. For this reason, I think it is best to give them a very vague answer. Something along the lines of, I got very hurt at one point, but I healed and I'm all better now.

"They're my past, they're my mistakes but like all mistakes, we learn from them. These are just reminders to remind me to never be reminded again because I know now so don't worry about it, kid."

I say that they are memories of the past and we all have personal issues. It’s importsnt to remember that not everyone is perfect.

You can explain scars to a young child when they ask about them as battles scars. Because you went through hard, rough times but made it out alive, some people don't.

I explained them as though they are battle wounds. I told the child that I'd won a battle against a bad guy.

You could say that you were fighting a battle and you won it and it helped you become who you are now

When my kids have pointed out my scars to me I am honest to an extent. What you don't want to do is lie... If you lie and they remember later on, finding out they were lied to, they can start to go through a spiral of what else they were lied to about and trust is a crucial part of childhood. There are ways you can still tell the truth. So some of mine were innocent mosquito bites that I scratched at as a child despite my own mother warning me not to as they can scar. I have one on my face due to a bout of MRSA. Others...due to physical abuse in a marriage and emotional pain dealt with in an unhealthy way as a teenager...I would tell them that they were boo boo's made due to an accident. They'd ask me, what kind of accident. I'd relate/ask them, about how you know how sometimes you think something is a good idea at first, but later find out after you get hurt it wasn't such a good idea? At this they usually relate sharing something they did that they initially thought was a good idea that got hurt. Such as pretending to be Mary Poppins in jumping off the kitchen table with an umbrella or thinking they were fine to stand on a chair until they lost their balance. Them relating really helps. When you share it this way you are not lying because I myself, at the time thought I was doing the right thing. I thought how I was coping with my emotional pain as a teen was my only outlet. I thought that staying with my husband despite the various abuse was the right thing as I loved him. In a nut shell, whether I was pretending to be Mary Poppins or sticking to my husband, both people would be in the mindset that they were "doing the right thing and everything would be alright". This not only answers the child's question, but protects them from feeling lied to later on. If it's your own child that later finds out the truth, not only will they come to appreciate your honesty, they will have a deeper understanding to your mindset at the time you received the scars.