Advice for parents raising teenagers. Often, who a person will become is determined during the teen years. One mistake can follow a person around for the rest of their life.
The teenage years can be both the best of times and the worst of times. Often, who a person will become is determined by the actions they take in their teen years. One mistake can follow a person around for the rest of their life. How do you keep your teen from making a mistake that could ruin his life? Parents have the responsibility of molding their children into responsible citizens. There are three areas that all parents should take a special interest in when talking to your teens, those things are sex, drugs and education.
SEX
Most teens are sexually active before they graduate high school. It is shocking to know that some kids are sexually active as young as 11 and 12 years old! The fact is, you can't always stop your teens from having sex, most of them will do it anyway. What you can do to protect your teen is to educate them about sex, pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, AIDS, and contraceptives.
The statistics on teenage pregnancy are alarming. Consider these facts:
- Some reports claim that as many as 1 in every 4 teen girls that are sexually active will become pregnant by age 18.
- 1 in every 5 teenagers that experience a pregnancy will become pregnant again within one year.
What can you do to prevent your child from becoming one of these statistics?
- Educate them on sex! Studies have shown that teenage pregnancies rates are lower in countries where contraceptives and sex education are available for teens.
-Talk to them openly about sex, make them feel comfortable about coming to you.
- If you have daughters, ask them if they want to be on birth control. If you openly ask them, they may open up and tell you that they do want access to some form of birth control. For boys, make them aware that pregnancy is not just a girl's problem. Provide them with condoms, if necessary. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away!
You may feel uncomfortable providing birth control and contraceptive devices to your teens, you may feel as if you are condoning or giving them your permission to have sex. Talk openly to your child and explain that you don't believe that they are ready for sex and you are not condoning it, but if and when they decide to do it, you want them to be protected.
Pregnancy isn't the only thing that you and your teen need to worry about with sex. The statistics on sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), including AIDS, continue to rise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that HIV/AIDS has been the sixth leading cause of death in the United States among young people, ages 15 to 24, since 1991. The use of condoms can lessen the chance of contracting a STD, but even condoms are not 100% effective.
DRUGS
For many teens, drugs are easy to get. Alcohol and marijuana are the most widely used drugs by teens, however, cocaine, crack, and heroin are used as well. Teens use drugs for various reasons, some to cope with the stresses in their life, others succumb to peer pressure.
You probably think that teens learn to use drugs and alcohol from their friends, and some do. But many teens learn their habits from their parents. Many teens report taking marijuana from their parents "stash." The best way to protect your kids from drugs is to educate them about the dangers of using. If you are using drugs, you are indirectly telling your kids that it is okay to use them as well. If you use...stop! Children learn best by example, don't teach your kids to abuse drugs and alcohol!
If you suspect that your teen may be using drugs, look for the following symptoms:
- Discipline problems (constantly argumentative, frequent lying)
- Withdrawal and less involvement in family activities.
- Secrecy, acts as if hiding something
- Hanging out with new friends
- Suddenly making bad grades or missing days from school
- Hyperactivity, drowsiness or forgetfulness (acting "weird")
- Depression or moodiness
- Bloodshot eyes, frequent use of eye drops
- Problems with money or sudden need for more money
- Alcohol, drugs or possessions disappearing from the house
- Drug paraphernalia, such as pipes, papers and razor blades.
EDUCATION
You may take it for granted that your child will graduate from high school and go to college. Encouragement from a young age may help to ensure that he will! Teens that receive a good education are more likely to become successful and productive members of society. As the world we live in continues to change and advance, the importance of a quality education, beyond high school, becomes increasingly valuable. In today's society, a college graduate's earnings are double that of those with only a high school diploma and almost triple that of a high school drop-out's. These stats make it easy to understand how high school drop-outs are headed for a life of poverty, or barely making it, at best.
What steps can you take to encourage your child's education?
- Encourage your child to go to college from a young age.
- Tell your child that he or she can be anything they want to be. A lot can be said for self-esteem. If a child is always lead to believe that he can accomplish his goals, chances are higher that he will succeed.
- Help your teen research colleges and programs; visit the campus with them to get them interested in attending.
- Save for your child's college education, and/or encourage them to apply for scholarships.
As you can see, the effects of sex, drugs and education can change your child's life. Give them every opportunity to escape these traps by educating them and maintaining an open relationship with them. The more your child knows about the dangers of sex and drugs and the importance of education, the less likely that they will become one of the statistics.
