Dating & Sex in Teens
As the parent of a teen, your world can often be turned upside down as your son or daughter begins to enjoy new experiences and develop and curiosity for issues that have never arisen before. One of the most worrying issues for many parents is the topic of dating and sex, and many parents are unsure as to how they should even approach these topics, often leaving the teen to figure things out alone. But, at the end of the day, the safety of your teen is of paramount importance, and taking the right steps could help to avoid heartache and serious trouble when it comes to dating and sex.
- Talk to your teen without feeling embarrassed – this is a very important part of teaching them about the dos and don’ts of dating and sex. Although sex education is taught in schools, parental advice is often the most effective with teens. Explain how they should not bow down to peer pressure, and explain that dating and sex are two very different situations and do not have to go hand in hand right away.
- Let you teen make his or her own decision with regards who they want to date, and don’t try and push your ideal person on to them otherwise they may simply rebel and look for someone that they know you will disapprove of. When your teen is dating, make sure that you get to meet their date and make sure that they always advise you of where they are going.
- Speak to your teen about contraception. Many teens will not be fully aware about contraception, its availability, and the option that are offered. The last thing you want is a teen with a baby on the way simply because of their lack of knowledge when it comes to contraceptive issues, and a serious chat about this topic could save a lot of problems. Also, speak to your teen about the dangers of STDs to make them fully aware of the risks.
- Steer your conversation the right way. In some cases, your teen may be thinking about dating someone – or may even already be dating someone – and is simply to embarrassed to speak to you about it. Drop dating into the conversation now and again, encouraging your teen to speak to you about dating related issues if he or she wishes to.