Mom, where do babies come from?

No question puts fear into the hearts of parents quite like this one. Except maybe...
...Mom, what is cancer?
...Dad, are you going to die?
...Why is Aunt Sarah sick?
...Why are you getting divorced?

And so on.

Geez! Just when you think you only have to study up for one scary question you realize that the sex talk is the least of your worries. Where is the training manual for this crazy parenting thing, anyway?

While I can't offer a training manual, I can share some advice from other parents around the web for how to address difficult questions about real-life issues with your kids.

3. Parents Share How They Talked To Their Kids About Difficult Topics

1. How To Talk To Kids About Death. Joanna offers 10 things she learned with her 4-year-old after they lost two family members last winter. Her ideas are practical, and I especially like the input of Christians in the comment section about how their faith helped them talk about death with their kids.

2. What A Conversation About Divorce Taught My Family About Marriage. Amanda shares about a conversation she had with her boys about divorce, and lists a few points she stressed about marriage. What I particularly liked was how she discerned the true heart of the question her son was asking, which was less about understanding divorce and more about reassurance for his own family.

3. How to Talk With Your Children About Difficult Topics. Licensed Family Therapist, Nicole, shares a simple script, plus great tips, for having conversations with kids about difficult topics. I appreciated how easy and universally applicable the script was.

These three articles were written by parents who no doubt have totally different parenting practices and beliefs. but here are two things their advice all had in common:

2 Common Things These 3 Parents Recommend:

1. Be fearless with the conversation. Avoiding or side-stepping hard stuff may seem like an ideal choice if you're not feeling prepared or ready to have a tough talk. Do. It. Anyway. It will never get easier than right in the moment.
2. Be okay with bumbling through. You aren't being graded on your ability to provide the perfect answer. And truly--there aren't perfect answers. Follow Alana's advice and take a deep breath, pray for help, and just jump in.

What difficult conversations have you had to have with your kids, and what advice would you share?