It's Not What You Say, It's How You Say It

What I tell people is the two topics everybody's afraid to talk to kids about are sex and death. Therefore, we dads should talk to them about sex and death.

Anything you say to a kid that they're not ready to hear goes right over their head. Don't worry. You're not going to screw them up by giving them too much info.

But it isn't what you say, it's how you say it. So if I say to my girl or my boy, "Let me tell you about sex," and I think it's nasty and awful and yucky and dirty, that's what they're going to hear no matter what words come out of my mouth. It's the vibe.

If I say to my kids, "Let me talk to you about sex," and I present it as healthy, normal, and natural, they're going to feel that.

Just remember: it ain't what you say, it's the vibe.

Transcript of Dr. Gore's video above, lightly edited for reading.