Hard questions
Say the true sentence. Then stop.
Openers for the questions that stall a dad. Not a lecture, not a theology, and not a custody brief.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When they ask before you have a speech ready
Sex
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
School
- “You can ask me. I might need a minute.”
- “Bodies are allowed. Nobody owes a touch.”
- “If someone is pushing you, tell me. You are not in trouble.”
Teen
- “Ask me anything. I'll answer in plain words.”
- “Wanting is normal. No still means no.”
- “If tonight is unsafe, we call. The lecture waits.”
If someone is in danger tonight, call 988 or emergency services. This page is not a sex-ed course and not medical advice.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When they ask where someone went
Death
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
Young
- “Their body stopped. I miss them too.”
- “You can be sad. You do not have to be brave for me.”
- “You can ask again later.”
Older
- “I don't have a tidy answer. I can sit here.”
- “Dead means the body stopped. The missing is real.”
- “You don't have to understand it today.”
If they are scared they might hurt themselves, call or text 988 together. Do not finish a metaphor first.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When the house splits and they want a verdict
Divorce
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
Young
- “You can love both of us. You do not pick.”
- “The week changes. I'll write the days.”
- “I will tell you the days. You do not have to guess.”
Older
- “The adult problem is not yours to solve.”
- “You do not pick a winner.”
- “I'll write the calendar. That's the change.”
Orders and custody live with your lawyer and the court. DadLane will not translate them.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When they ask what you believe
God
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
Young
- “You can ask. I won't be mad.”
- “You can join, or you can skip it.”
- “If this house has a practice, you can come or sit it out.”
Older
- “You can believe, doubt, or not know.”
- “If our house has a practice, you can join it or skip it.”
- “If this is really I'm scared, say that. I'll stay.”
Faith is optional on this site. A family practice is not a substitute for a clinician or for 988.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When the question is really about tonight
Drugs
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
School
- “If you are curious, ask me.”
- “I'll tell you the plain version, not a scare story.”
- “If a friend is in trouble tonight, tell me. You are not in trouble for telling.”
Teen
- “If you already tried something, I want you safe more than I want the story.”
- “We can talk about the rule after I know you are safe.”
- “If tonight is dangerous, we call. Then we talk.”
If tonight is dangerous, call 988 or emergency services. The lecture waits.
A DadLane sheet. Fill the blanks, screenshot it, or print it.
DadLane
Be the dad who shows up
A DadLane sheet. The prompts are ours. Fill the blanks in your own words. Free to print. Not medical, legal, or financial advice.
When they ask about time you were gone
Why did you leave
Say the line for their age. Then stop. Screenshot the card if you need it in the other room.
Young
- “I left. It was not because you were hard to love.”
- “I'll be here at the time I wrote.”
- “You can ask again. I will answer the same way.”
Older
- “I can tell you what I did. I won't make you carry their story.”
- “The next visit, on time, is the proof.”
- “The calendar I wrote is the plan. A speech is not.”
If a court or a safety order covers the time away, that outranks this sentence. Ask your lawyer what you may say.