It’s part of every parent’s nightmare: a teen daughter gets pregnant, your teenage son causes a pregnancy, or your teen tells you that he or she is gay. What can you do? First, contain your own feelings. Listening rather than lashing out can make a vital difference, not only in the resolution of the sexuality […]
Many parents feel that talking with their teens about birth control will either give the teens ideas, or communicate parental permission to have sex. However, teens do have ideas about sex, and some actually have sex without either birth control information or our knowledge or permission. And, you, as a parent, can give birth control
What are some good reasons for your teenager to say no to sex? You might tell him or her: 1. “Hold off if you don’t know each other well.” The best sexual sharing comes with someone you know and trust. Why do it with someone who isn’t special to you? 2. “The risk of sexually
If you’re feeling middle-aged, tired, in a rut, and less fit than you used to be, it isn’t surprising that you might sometimes envy your teen’s physical beauty, strength, youth, and seemingly limitless life choices and opportunities. These feelings of envy are understandable, giving some of the losses of middle age. But ask yourself if,
If you’re expecting a baby, you might think you’ve prepared your family adequately for the big event, but wait – have you prepared your pet? Don’t laugh; it’s important if you want your dog or cat and the baby to become good friends, Here’s what a nationally recognized animal trainer suggests: • Be sure your
Adolescents aren’t necessarily better equipped to deal with divorce because of their age. Anger and uncertainty are normal reactions for these kids, although they may be more adept at hiding these feelings. • Adolescents are learning to separate from the family as a unit and their growth toward independence, and divorce poses additional conflicts for
Adolescence represents one of the most difficult stages in human development. The teenager needs desperately to leave his childhood behind and enter fully into the world of adults — but often feels the pull of childish impulses and desires, and the security of his old life keeping him from making the big move toward psychological
If your adolescent has had learning difficulties or other school problems, then these usually have been recorded in some way in your teen’s school files. These school files follow your child from school to school, and may even accompany them when they enter the work force. Parents need to be careful about monitoring these files,
Is your teenager bored with school? If so, you may need to do something at home to help bring a little life into his various school subjects. Here are a few suggestions: • For boring textbook material, try acting out the work, creating a little skit or play to illustrate the concepts or facts covered.
With high school dropout rates and teenage apathy running rampant through our schools, it may benefit many parents to consider other choices for educating their adolescents. One important option to look at is apprenticeships. Apprenticeships go back thousands of years and actually were the original schools of ancient times. • In an apprenticeship, your teenager
