So you made (or know) a curious and smart human whose thirst for knowledge about the world and all it encompasses includes a thirst for knowledge about bodies? It's time for a sex talk.
Congratulate yourself! You have a totally great young person in your life who is curious and open to knowledge!
But now the gauntlet has been thrown. So wait, how DO you talk to kids about sex?
So with the birds and the bees...
Is there a right way?
Is there a wrong way?
Some couples make valiant, generous, and awesomely awkward (but in the way that is super sweet) attempts...
Basically, when you find yourself on the stage of life being asked to perform what may be the first of many sex talks with young and impressionable people in your life, the answer is not "you're doing it right" or "you're doing it wrong." The answer is this:
You're a good person, you are honest, you are kind, and you are inquisitive. And your instinct to be simple, honest, and humble with the kiddo in your life is *totally right.*
Yep! You're right! Sorry, shame, this is not where you are welcome. Sure, you might feel like you're making an awkward moment here and there (everyone does, this is life!), but frankly, you got this.
The simple truth is if this kiddo is old enough to wonder, this kiddo is old enough to know. And how great that they're learning new things from a safe, trusted adult like you.
STILL, much like kids want some details about the birds and the bees, you might enjoy some do's and try-not-to-do's about the birds and bees chat specifically.
WHY HAVE THIS CHAT?
An honest and candid and curious sex talk gives kids:
- language to use their whole life that will keep them healthy
- a way to prepare for sexual maturity without having to *experience* it
- a big old hunk of trust-building moments with you
Show your kid or the kid in your life that you'll help them get answers. If you don't show them that you're the source of answers, your awesome and intuitive kid will find their own answers ... somewhere else.
Here are a few do's and try-not-to-do's to remember.
DO:
Teach words.
Words like vagina, scrotum, testes, anus, clitoris, intersex, sex, and diversity are ideal to introduce when kiddos are learning words like dog and cat. They're on the same difficulty level, and the result is we have a whole generation who knows the name for both farm animals AND body parts.
Use correct language yourself.
You're modeling for this kiddo, and you're teaching them about honesty and integrity AND bodies all at the same time.
You're being honest! It's all good.
Stay chill, stay real.
Often our instinct after hearing a sex question from a kiddo is to go "eeek!" first and "OK, so here's the deal" later. But with some practice and yoga breathing, you can skip the "eeek" and go straight to The Deal. And if you don't find the answer...
Be curious.
Figure it out together! Be curious time is also a great time to practice the "stay chill, stay real" principle. When kids are curious about "grown-up" stuff, just answer 'em!
For example*:
What's this?
"It's underwear that holds up special socks!"
What's this?
"It's a condom. It goes over the penis."
What's this?
"This is a tampon! Look what it does in the sink!"
*A big thank you to Dr. Doe for these examples.
TRY NOT TO DO:
(BUT IF YOU DO, IT IS OK!)
Use language that presumes heterosexuality is the norm.
"When a man and a woman love each other they have sex!"
Use language that assumes that gender identity is set in stone.
Easy on the penis=boy and vagina=girl stuff. It's not all black and white!
Use language that is very "BOYS THIS" and "GIRLS THAT."
This is a good time to adopt a "people are people" kind of vibe.
ALSO, try not to beat yourself up if you aren't perfect. It's all good.
So, enjoy the talk! And remember, this kid might just teach YOU something!
So true, little lady. So true.






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Resurfaced video of French skier's groin incident has people giving the announcer a gold medal
"The boys took a beating on that one."
Downhill skiing is a sport rife with injuries, but not usually this kind.
A good commentator can make all the difference when watching sports, even when an event goes smoothly. But it's when something goes wrong that great announcers rise to the top. There's no better example of a great announcer in a surprise moment than when French skier Yannick Bertrand took a gate to the groin in a 2007 super-G race.
Competitive skiers fly down runs at incredible speeds, often exceeding 60 mph. Hitting something hard at that speed would definitely hurt, but hitting something hard with a particularly sensitive part of your body would be excruciating. So when Bertrand slammed right into a gate family-jewels-first, his high-pitched scream was unsurprising. What was surprising was the perfect commentary that immediately followed.
This is a clip you really just have to see and hear to fully appreciate:
- YouTube youtu.be
It's unclear who the announcer is, even after multiple Google inquiries, which is unfortunate because that gentleman deserves a medal. The commentary gets better with each repeated viewing, with highlights like:
"The gate the groin for Yannick Bertrand, and you could hear it. And if you're a man, you could feel it."
"Oh, the Frenchman. Oh-ho, monsieurrrrrr."
"The boys took a beating on that one."
"That guy needs a hug."
"Those are the moments that change your life if you're a man, I tell you what."
"When you crash through a gate, when you do it at high rate of speed, it's gonna hurt and it's going to leave a mark in most cases. And in this particular case, not the area where you want to leave a mark."
Imagine watching a man take a hit to the privates at 60 mph and having to make impromptu commentary straddling the line between professionalism and acknowledging the universal reality of what just happened. There are certain things you can't say on network television that you might feel compelled to say. There's a visceral element to this scenario that could easily be taken too far in the commentary, and the inherent humor element could be seen as insensitive and offensive if not handled just right.
The announcer nailed it. 10/10. No notes.
The clip frequently resurfaces during the Winter Olympic Games, though the incident didn't happen during an Olympic event. Yannick Bertrand was competing at the FIS World Cup super-G race in Kvitfjell, Norway in 2007, when the unfortunate accident occurred. Bertrand had competed at the Turin Olympics the year before, however, coming in 24th in the downhill and super-G events.
As painful as the gate to the groin clearly as, Bertrand did not appear to suffer any damage that kept him from the sport. In fact, he continued competing in international downhill and super-G races until 2014.
According to a 2018 study, Alpine skiing is a notoriously dangerous sport with a reported injury rate of 36.7 per 100 World Cup athletes per season. Of course, it's the knees and not the coin purse that are the most common casualty of ski racing, which we saw clearly in U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn's harrowing experiences at the 2026 Olympics. Vonn was competing with a torn ACL and ended up being helicoptered off of the mountain after an ugly crash that did additional damage to her legs, requiring multiple surgeries (though what caused the crash was reportedly unrelated to her ACL tear). Still, she says she has no regrets.
As Bertrand's return to the slopes shows, the risk of injury doesn't stop those who live for the thrill of victory, even when the agony of defeat hits them right in the rocks.