“Oh,” Grayson said. And that was it. They went on to something else. I slowly exhaled.

That evening I discussed the incident with my husband. We both knew that Grayson didn’t know much about sex; he is our oldest child, so he hadn’t heard things from an older sibling. But we also didn’t know how to talk with him about it. We wanted to teach him God’s view of sexuality—not the world’s.

First we prayed and asked the Lord for direction. We researched Christian resources and learned that talking with our children about sexuality is not a one-time “talk” but an ongoing dialogue using age-appropriate language and teachable moments, never giving them more details than they can handle at one time.

When we think about talking to our children about sexuality, we can feel embarrassed and overwhelmed. Where do we start? Yet we know if we don’t do it, someone else will. But remember, as Christians we have the Architect of the plan and His Word on our side. By being open, honest, and positive, we can give them a healthy view—God’s view—of a sexual relationship: the integration of physical, spiritual, and emotional intimacy between a husband and wife. Teach them that they can talk to you about anything, anytime.