How should someone come out to you?

I am hoping that some of the parents out there will answer this question, but I am interested in hearing anyone's point of view on this question. And this question is, "if your son or daughter is going to come out to you, how would you prefer them to go about it?" I am looking for your ideal scenario for someone coming out to you. Should they write a note explaining everything in extreme detail so you can digest the information? Mention it casually as they pass you in the hall? Hire a plane to write it in the sky? If you would like, you can substitute "son or daughter" with sibling, friend, neighbor, etc. Instead of always wondering what the best way to come out to someone is, I thought I would just ask what you guys would prefer if you were on the receiving end. Thanks in advance!

 

I figured some examples might be helpful to give people an idea of what I am looking for. And since I never put a lot of thought into how I would want someone to go about coming out to me, I found it unexpectedly difficult to answer my own question.

If I had a child and they were feeling apprehensive about coming out to me, I would of course want them to come out using whichever method they felt most comfortable with. However, assuming they had no preferred method for the sake of this question, I think a quick personal chat would be a good way to go about it. Like, me and the kid sit down on the couch, they tell me they have something important to say, I ask them what it is, they say they are coming out as whatever they are coming out as, I say that's cool and we both know it's the truth. Nothing long and drawn out, but definitely not completely nonchalant either.

For a friend, I don't think I would mind if it were less formal. Just mention it to me when it is relevant. As long as it doesn't catch me completely 100% off-guard when I find out, I should be good. And if it does catch me off guard, the person might receive a look of shock, then everything will once again be good.