Dealing with difficult issues and having sensitive discussions is a part of life. However, when it comes to children, addressing these issues can be challenging. However, if you know how to approach and explain these difficult topics so that they can understand them in a thoughtful and age-appropriate way, discussions will be less stressful and the outcome will be better for everyone involved.

If you’re a parent, please take the time to review this set of general guidelines as well as more specific suggestions for handling certain topics to arm yourself for those challenging discussions that are sure to come.

General guidelines for explaining difficult topics

No matter what the topic, there are certain principles that can be applied. Knowing what they are will give you a good foundation for talking to your young children or teens.

Don’t overwhelm them with details. Let your child be the guide and follow his lead in how much information to give.

Remember to be age appropriate with the amount and type of information you share. The details that a teenager might handle would not be assimilated in the same way by a younger child.

Break down the data in a way that benefits or addresses the concerns of the child in question.

Allow children to ask their own questions and answer honestly. Encourage openness.

Incorporate your family values ​​into difficult discussions. If you’re not sure how you feel about a certain topic or conversation your child should have, be honest and share your mixed feelings with your children. It’s okay to let them know that you don’t have all the answers, but you can research the topic and try to find the answers they need.

If you want to chat with your child, plan an activity together and have the necessary conversation while both of you are busy at work or play.

While some issues can come out of the blue, some are predictable. So plan to talk to your child ahead of time about topics that are bound to come up. That way you’ll beat your peers on the topic!

Listen carefully to what your child says on whatever topic is being discussed. You’ll get clues as to how much to tell them or what they really want and need to hear, what their concerns really are. Be patient with yourself and with your child, talk as long as your child needs.

talking about divorce

If a child is concerned that their parents may divorce but their relationship is healthy, he or she needs reassurance. They also need to know that some arguments between adults are normal. The child simply needs reassurance that her family unit is stable and intact.

But if a divorce is looming on the horizon, the conversation will be very different. However, you should always start and end with ease. Tell them that they will always be loved and that will never change. Children should be reminded that no part of the decision to divorce is a reflection on them.

He always approached the general topic of divorce objectively with an explanation that it is a reality for many families.

Talking about the concept of being gay

Whether the topic comes up as a generality or a child asks about the same-sex parent of a friend or neighbor, the topic of being gay is another discussion that some parents are uneasy or unprepared for. This is an area where your values ​​can come into play, so you may want to approach it from a factual standpoint.

You can explain to your child that some people love another person who happens to be of the same sex. For a small child, this should be enough. For a teenager, the discussion of sexual orientation can be more complicated and fraught with legal and moral issues. No matter how you choose to handle this, be open and encourage your children to treat everyone as you would like to be treated. Remind them that whether a person is gay or not has no impact on their humanity.

Talking about the death of a parent or loved one

Death is one of the most difficult topics to deal with with children or adolescents. However, when faced with him, there is no shying away from him. Effective communication about the issue can go a long way in helping young people deal with loss.

Discuss the physical aspects of death, such as a disease that cannot be cured; injury that could not be repaired; and how bodies just stop working at one point. When it comes to the spiritual realm of death, values ​​and religion reign. He shares what his family believes. Comfort your children with the idea that death does not change love. Allow your child to openly express her feelings, be sure to provide a safe and judgment-free environment for her to do so.

Talking about strip clubs

When your child notices the strip club on the road on the way to school or church, she’s most likely in for another awkward conversation. Fortunately, this discussion doesn’t touch closely, so it can be treated in general terms as you look at the choices some people make. Be sure to make it a life lesson. You can also explain that just as children have playgrounds, like amusement parks that are just for them, so do adults. Just tell the kids that a strip club is a place where some adults go to have fun.

Talking about sex, pregnancy and where babies come from

Talking to your kids about sex, pregnancy, and where babies come from is one of those inevitable discussions every parent should have. One of the most important things to remember is to be timely with that discussion. If possible, talk about it before your child finds out from her friends or classmates. Therefore, you would like to start early on this topic. As soon as questions arise, answer them honestly, with young children, keeping it short and simplistic is very important, not divulging more information than is absolutely necessary.

Keep in mind that before you decide to introduce any difficult subject with your young children or teens, have a game plan. Know how much information you want to share. Plan to be receptive to their input. And when topics come up unexpectedly, staying calm and honest will save the day. Share appropriately to create a well-balanced child who knows that they too can come to or seek help from their family to understand the difficult things in life.