The Sex Talk Guide for Parents

I need to have the sex and relationships talk with my child and I'm putting it off because I don't know how to do it well.

Child's age: [AGE]
What they already know: [nothing / basic biology / more than I'd like / I honestly don't know]
What prompted this now: [puberty approaching / they asked / something at school / I just know I should]
My main concern: [saying too much / too little / making it weird / they shut down / I don't know the right words]

Help me have this conversation well:
1. **What to cover at this age** — the right level of detail, not too much or too little
2. **The conversation structure** — how to open it, keep it going, and close it
3. **Words to use** — clear, accurate language that doesn't make it weird
4. **What they're likely to ask** — and honest age-appropriate answers
5. **Consent and relationships** — how to frame the values alongside the biology
6. **Making it ongoing** — how to keep this a conversation they can return to, not a one-off lecture

I need to have the sex and relationships talk with my child and I'm putting it off because I don't know how to do it well.

Child's age: [AGE]
What they already know: [nothing / basic biology / more than I'd like / I honestly don't know]
What prompted this now: [puberty approaching / they asked / something at school / I just know I should]
My main concern: [saying too much / too little / making it weird / they shut down / I don't know the right words]

Help me have this conversation well:
1. **What to cover at this age** — the right level of detail, not too much or too little
2. **The conversation structure** — how to open it, keep it going, and close it
3. **Words to use** — clear, accurate language that doesn't make it weird
4. **What they're likely to ask** — and honest age-appropriate answers
5. **Consent and relationships** — how to frame the values alongside the biology
6. **Making it ongoing** — how to keep this a conversation they can return to, not a one-off lecture