Dear Family Coach: My 7-year-old son says some of the other kids at school are cursing or talking about sexual things that he doesn’t understand. He asks me what these words mean. Should I tell him the truth or make something up? I don’t want to make a fool of him, but I also don’t think he is ready for all of these concepts. — Not Ready Dad

Dear Dad: I have a friend in his 40s who has told me a story from his boyhood. When he asked his father about sex, he lied and made up some ludicrous nonsense (either because he was embarrassed or caught off guard). It took my friend but a few weeks to learn Pop was offering bad information, and he never sought his guidance in such areas again. Not only did he lose faith in his father but he also repeated that nonsense response to friends, who then laughed at his ignorance.

Updated: Sat Jun 24, 2017

Source: Dear Family Coach