Article: Over time, you should have a variety of discussions with your child about sex, sexuality, and reproduction. You should be prepared ahead of time in regards to what you feel most subject you feel most comfortable discussing with your child. What are you the most comfortable talking about? Some parents feel fine discussing the technical aspects of reproduction, but others balk at the idea as they fear they don't know enough to explain it well. Some parents are okay discussing relationships, consent, and readiness for sex, but others are uncomfortable with being so casual with their kids. Know what you feel you can cover yourself, without outside material. You should strive to frankly discuss the topics you're most comfortable with upfront and lean on outside material for areas you're less confident. Take your child's age into consideration. You should always answer a child's question about their body, but depending on your personal parenting style you might prefer to hold off on discussing sex and reproduction itself until around 10 or 12. Some subjects too might not be an issue until your child is a teenager. It's fine to talk to your 10 year-old daughter about menstruation and what it means, but she might not understand safe sex and STDs until she's a few years older. As stated, you might have to rely on certain outside sources for some areas of the sex talk. What Makes A Baby by Cory Silverberg is a great children's book for parents looking to explain how babies are conceived and born to young children. If you're unsure how to word the discussion in a kid-friendly manner, this can be an excellent resource. The website BishUK provides a range of topics for parents and teens that covers not only the physical aspects of sex but its emotional impact. You could direct your child to these web pages as he reaches his teenage years. MTV, as part of their well known Teen Mom series, has a website known as mysexlife.org that helps teenagers understand sex and sexuality and how to make safe decisions regarding their bodies. Speakeasy, a Family Planning Association, has online guides to help parents talk to kids about sex and reproduction at a variety of ages. Many parents underestimate how much information children absorb, even at a young age, about sex and reproduction. Try to maintain a calm demeanor each time you have a discussion with your child and do not react with anger, shock, or surprise if your child reveals they already know some aspects of the topic. If your child takes a sex ed course at school, try and figure out what is covered. You can look over the material your child brings home, but it might be better to speak to the teacher directly and ask him for a syllabus or lesson plan. Even young children have some understanding of sex and sexuality. Children pick up on things in television and other sources of media and talk amongst themselves. Older children might fill younger children in on certain topics, and a child might ask your for further information or verification about something they heard on the playground. Handle such lines of questions calmly. If your child claims they already know something you're trying to explain, remain calm. You want your child to leave the conversation feeling positive so he feels he can come back to you with questions. You do not want to react in a way that could provoke feelings of fear or shame in your child.

What is a summary?
Decide what you want to discuss. Gather external resources. Understand your child probably knows more than you think.