How are babies made?

We were eating dinner in a Chinese restaurant when my son asked me how babies were made. I swallowed my mouthful of sweet-and-sour chicken and answered him with an age-appropriate summary of how sperm and an egg join together and then grown inside a woman's womb to make a baby.

"Oh, OK." he said.

"Do you have any other questions?" I asked him.

"No," he said. And then he moved onto another topic of conversation.

Talking with your children about sex is never easy, but it is necessary. And if you start early, it makes life a little easier when your child is a teenager. A new study out of North Carolina indicates that teenagers (especially girls) are listening to their parents when it comes to discussion around sex. But the key is that parents have to start the conversation.

In addition to talking early and often, one of the other key tips for parents is that they should focus more on being a resource for their children and less of an interrogator. So, instead of asking your teen if they are having sex, ask them if they have access to birth control if they need it.

One big tip is to not share stories from your own sex life, because NO child wants to think about their parents having sex. Ever.

What sex education tips have you learned when talking with your children? Tell me in the comments.