Carrie Bradshaw didn't do me any favors. Thanks to the title of her famous movie, my daughter broached the subject of sex. As parents we know the time will come, I just didn't think it it would be so soon [1] — at four and a half! From watching movie trailers and catching bits of playground gossip, she deduced that sex is sleeping with someone naked and kissing on the lips. In the course of of our impromptu and G-rated conversation, I realized that keeping the chat as low key and comfortable as possible opens the lines of communication.

• Don't freak out. Your reaction sets the tone for future conversations.
• Ask your tot what they know and where they got their information. Then go from there. There's no need to break out charts and graphs for a three-year-old.
• Tell them an age-appropriate version of the truth.
• Don't scare your kids by getting overly serious. RELAX!
• Encourage them to come to you in the future as they have further questions and/or thoughts.

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema [2]