The conversation many families avoid more than sex or drugs

It's time for an awkward talk . You sit down with your kid and you can talk about the birds and the bees, the temptation of drugs or money.

More than half of parents asked in a new survey said they'd choose those other topics over the money talk .

Fifty-seven percent of parents surveyed by Acorns, a financial wellness company, said discussing such topics as drugs, alcohol and sex would be easier than talking about money.

One in three parents also said they've avoided talking about money because of their own financial situation, experiences with money or money habits.

"Money is that kind of taboo subject," said Liz Bonner, a parent in Washington, D.C. "You want to be transparent as much as you can and educate your child, but you also know that this could get beyond your family."

It's the age-old challenge, said Noah Kerner, CEO and chairman of Acorns.

"If adults are not particularly comfortable talking about money, they're not going to be comfortable talking about money with their kids," he said.

The Acorns study, "Money Matters for Kids," was based on a nationwide survey of 2,000 U.S. parents and their kids ages 6 to 17.

Bonner has been using an app by Acorns Early to help her 12-year-old son, Curtis, learn about money and investing.

The family started using the app as a way to pay Curtis his allowance and to teach him about saving and investing. Curtis splits his allowance into four categories: save, spend, invest and donate. He also uses the app to help him invest in companies like Marriott, Toyota and Raytheon because he's interested in cars, aviation and traveling.

Curtis said money isn't really a topic discussed at the school lunch table, but when his friends want to spend a lot of money on a game, he advises them against it.

Figuring out age-appropriate discussions about money has been a challenge, Bonner said. But it is important for parents to teach their children instead of putting off the discussions, she said.

Approaching the idea of debt may be especially tricky. There can be a lot of shame in the discussion if parents are in debt, Kerner said.

"But you can talk about the importance of understanding debt ... and it doesn't mean you need to talk to your kids specifically about the debt you're struggling with," Kerner said.

Teaching kids the concepts can be helpful, he said.

For instance, 60% of kids in the study said they were familiar with Buy Now, Pay Later, and 30% believe financing groceries that way is a good financial decision.