According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, when talking to your child about sex, it is important to:
Encourage your child to talk and ask questions.
Maintain a calm and non-critical atmosphere for discussions.
Use words that are understandable and comfortable.
Try to determine your child's level of knowledge and understanding.
Keep your sense of humor and don't be afraid to talk about your own discomfort.
Relate sex to love, intimacy, caring, and respect for oneself and one's partner.
Be open in sharing your values and concerns.
Discuss the importance of responsibility for choices and decisions.
Help your child to consider the pros and cons of choices.
Before embarking on such a discussion, though, there are a few things that a parent must do.
Figure Out Why You’re Uncomfortable
There are plenty of reasons that parents feel less-than-okay about having the dreaded “birds and the bees” chat with their offspring. It’s perfectly normal to feel apprehensive. Part of overcoming that is pinpointing exactly which aspects of the discussion make you the most uncomfortable; once you identify and work through these issues, you’ll be much better prepared to talk things over with your child.
You don’t want to think of your child as a sexual being.
Nobody wants to think of their parents having sex – and no parents want to think of their child in terms of their sexuality, either. But the truth is, human beings are sexual from birth. From infant to teenager, kids are curious about their own bodies – and that’s a normal, healthy part of growing up. Ignoring your child’s sexuality isn’t going to make it go away. Since it’s going to be an issue whether you address it or not, why not do your best to ensure that your child has a healthy view of sexuality instead of trying to repress it?