Every family needs to have talks that empower their kids to approach sexuality thoughtfully and responsibly, contain what kids want to hear directly from their parents, and protect kids from abuse so they can grow into healthy young adults. Some of us have learned from painful trial and error about the complications and risks of sex. As parents, how can we help our kids avoid some of the same struggles? The answer rests in supporting our kids through the important milestone of becoming sexually active by starting an ongoing dialogue with our kids about human sexuality, and far earlier than you may think necessary. Sex education has been shown to not hasten sexual activity and to have a positive impact on sexual behavior. But how do you get started? When Michael Gene learned that Dutch kids benefit greatly from growing up in a culture that embraces sex education and positive human sexual relationships, he conducted further research on the subject, hoping that he could help his daughter experience the same benefit. In Essential Little Talks, he presents his findings to inspire you to provide this benefit to your own kids along with some scripts to help you get started. There is also a checklist you can go through with your child when they are old enough and feel ready for sex. Talking about a subject as complex as sex is best done using a building-block approach with lots of essential, little talks.Forgoing the opportunity to educate our kids means that their friends, online sources, and traditional media will do it for us. What they learn will not be what we hope for. Thus, it becomes increasingly imperative that parents take the initiative. We want our boys and girls to have the skills to ward off the coercion of others and be free to pursue the fulfilling, happy relationships they deserve. Let's teach our kids information they can use to stay healthy and find enjoyment in all aspects of their lives, including sexuality.