Awkward Talks Made Easy: What to Say When Your Kid Brings Up Big Stuff

Stay calm. Or fake it convincingly.

You’re minding your business—cooking dinner, folding laundry, wondering vaguely where your actual personality went—and then your kid drops a bomb:

“Dad, what’s sex?”

“What’s a period?”

“Did you ever do drugs?”

“Why is that man sleeping on the footpath?”

And you freeze. Not because you don’t care, but because you weren’t expecting to have a TED Talk about life’s complexities while holding a half-eaten banana and an empty Tupperware lid.

These questions never come with warning. They arrive mid-toast. And how you respond in those first five seconds might matter more than what you actually say.

No One Expects You to Nail It

You don’t need a perfect answer. You need a face that doesn’t flinch and a voice that doesn’t sprint for the exits.

Most of the time, your kid isn’t asking for a full explanation. They just want to know if you’ll stay present, stay steady, and not respond like you’ve just seen a ghost in the pasta sauce.

Try These Instead of the Blank Stare

1. “That’s a good question.”

Classic stall tactic. Validates their curiosity. Also gives you three full seconds to work out whether to answer honestly or invent a metaphor involving birds and bees you’ll later regret.

2. “What made you ask?”

A gentle way of saying, Where did this come from and how worried should I be?

3. “Let me think about how to explain it properly.”

Buys you time. Shows you take them seriously. Allows for fact-checking and emotional composure.

4. “We can talk about anything.”

The gold standard. It says, “You didn’t break me with this question, and I’ll be here when you ask the next one.”

5. “Let’s pick this up again tomorrow.”

Because sometimes they ask just as the lights go out and your brain is trying to shut down with them.

The Real Goal: Keep the Door Open

You’re not Wikipedia. You’re not ChatGPT. You’re their dad. Your job is to signal that no topic is off-limits—even if you need 24 hours and a cup of tea to come up with your answer.

“The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.”

— Peggy O’Mara

So if you can manage steady, interested, and only mildly confused, you’re doing just fine.

Your kid isn’t looking for a flawless explanation. They’re looking to see if you stay in the room. That’s it. Stay in the room. That’s where the real parenting happens.

DADDING IN ACTION

Tonight, say this out loud:

“If you ever hear something weird or confusing, you can always ask me about it.”

Then prove it by not changing the subject.