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Sydney popped the question at the park on last night's episode of Parenthood. Joel and Julia fumbled for an answer when the child inquired about her origins, asking if she "came from a vagina." The couple uncomfortably confirmed that they all came from vaginas, but their daughter's probe continued. Kids often initiate the birds and the bees conversation well before their parents anticipate it. To ensure that you aren't caught off guard when your youngster broaches the subject, here are a few tips for keeping the impromptu and G-rated conversation as low-key and comfortable as possible.

• Don't freak out. Your reaction sets the tone for future conversations.
• Ask your tot what she knows and where she got her information. Then go from there. There's no need to break out charts and graphs for a 3-year-old.
• Tell her an age-appropriate version of the truth.
• Don't scare your kids by getting overly serious. Relax!
• Encourage her to come to you in the future as she has further questions and/or thoughts.

Chime in with your own tips in the comments section!

All kids are different, but when a child has a disability should they be told? Last night on Parenthood, Max is enthused about getting the entire family —Team Braverman — together to participate in an Autism Speaks walk. Though the boy is extremely passionate about helping kids with autism, he has yet to realize that he is on the spectrum. Wondering whether they should tell Max that he has Asperger's syndrome, Adam and Kristina consult their son's doctor. He doesn't give them a direct answer, instead he says that the 8 year old will clue them in when it's time. Do you agree that children will figure it out themselves or give their parents a cue for delivering such news, or should parents be upfront at the time of diagnosis?

When a parent comes to you for advice, how do you answer? Do you tell her the truth or what she wants to hear? On last night's episode of Parenthood, Julia worries about Sydney's behavioral issues and obsession with a rubber band ball so she seeks Kristina's advice. Though Max, who has Asperger's, also had a rubber band ball, Kristina withholds the information and tells her sister-in-law that everything will be fine with her daughter. In the end it turns out that Sydney isn't autistic, but gifted. When fellow parents come to you with concerns about their kids, what position do you take?

We've been anticipating the premiere of Parenthood, and it was well worth the wait! Though the first episode packed quite a punch covering everything from frozen sperm, biological clocks, and quasi-engagements to divorce and dating as a newly single parent, it was a scene about Asperger's syndrome that left me with a lump in my throat. Both the words "Asperger's" and "autism" have become so viral in recent years that many people have become almost immune to their impact. But Ron Howard and Brain Grazer's new series doesn't talk about the developmental disorder so much as it shows its effects in a single compelling scene between three generations of Braverman men — Craig T. Nelson (Zeek), Peter Krause (Adam), and Max Burkholder (Max) — when Adam tells his father that there is "something wrong with his son" outside a school event when the child is puddle jumping. Perhaps the scene seems so authentic because it's been reported that writer/executive producer Jason Katims has a son with Asperger's. What did you think of the way it was portrayed?