Awesome Parents Blogs

Most parents absolutely abhor the idea of having to talk to their children about sex. It can be really uncomfortable for both the parent and the child. However, it is a conversation that must be had. Actually, it will be more then one conversation but instead, an ongoing dialogue. Parents will have to continually speak on the subject even when it is difficult. Some common questions that parents have concerning speaking to their children about sex are:

When should I first broach the subject?: This is a difficult question. Children are having sex and discussing it with other kids earlier then ever. In fact, some kids are reporting their first experiences with sex as early as 10 years old. This means that you should be prepared to at least cover the basics in adolescence even before they become teenagers. Make sure that the conversation is age appropriate and that it matches your child’s maturity level.

How do I bring up the topic?: This will differ for everyone. You may want to announce to your child that you want to talk about boys and girls and their relationships with each other. Alternatively, you may want to take the opportunity to talk about sex while you and your child are watching a movie that broaches the subject.

Shouldn’t they be learning this stuff in school?: Some schools have sex-ed programs, but children and teens should learn about sex at home. They shouldn’t have to wait until it is taught in school. It is your responsibility as a parent to get them ready for life and to infuse your values into their lives, including those that have to do with sex.
What if my child doesn’t want to talk about sex?: Kids are not going to want to talk to their parents about sex. However, it is your responsibility as the adult to talk about uncomfortable topics that need to be discussed even if neither or you want to do it.

Should I tell them about my sexual experiences?: If it makes sense to do so, you may want to share some of your own sexual experiences. Of course not in a way that boasts of sexual conquests but in a way that might teach them a lesson. For example, you may want to encourage waiting to have sex until the right time, by telling them about how you wished you would have put off sex until a more appropriate time.

With military recruiters desperate for new recruits, they are turning to our high schools to try to convince children below the legal age limit to enlist. The deferred enlisting program is aimed to have high schoolers to join the military before they turn 18. This program allows them to go to basic training between their junior and senior years of high school. They then will go straight into the military after graduation. Some people have a problem with this.

Individuals at NotSafeForKids.com believe that the military is targeting children too young to make informed decisions about their futures. They believe that kids which are too young to marry, drink or vote, do not have the capacity to yet determine if they want to spend their immediate lives after high school, defending our country in dangerous parts of the world. To protect children, NotSafeForKids.com suggests that parents get involved and teach their kids how to avoid signing their lives away. The advice they give is to not sign anything no matter the pressure from military recruiters.

Whether a parent agrees to let their child sign up for deferred enlisting is up to that individual parent. It is important to remember that teenagers frequently change their minds. While one year they may want to be a doctor, the next year they may want to be a professional athlete. The beauty of being a kid is that they can change their minds. However, if you allow them to enlist in the army, there is absolutely no opportunity for them to change their mind. They are bound by duty. It is best not to allow them to put themselves in this situation. Instead, insist that they wait until they graduate and have a better idea of what they want to do with lives. After this point, they can sign up for whatever they want. There is really no need to sign up when they are 16 or 17. The military recruits will still be there waiting long after they come of age.

http://NotSafeForKids.com

A recent study has found that young people do not read traditional newspapers. Instead, they only scan the headlines. Instead, they are more likely to and turn to online news outlets. Traditional, offline newspapers have been struggling every since the internet has grown in popularity. Advertising revenue has been on the decline every since.

With younger people not finding much use for hard copy newspapers, the future seems bleak. Newspapers will have to find ways to engage the youth if they want to survive. Many newspapers have already gone online to try to stay relevant. However, national news carriers such as CNN and various social networking sites are getting the bulk of online news traffic.

Online news outlets are able to update the news as soon as it happens. This gives them a huge advantage over offline papers that send out information only one time a day. However, there is some real merit to local, offline newspapers. They have a lot of good information and a lot can be learned from them especially about what is going on in one’s particular city. Parents who want to encourage their teens to read the regular newspaper more, may want to assign their children a weekly newspaper report. This forces kids to read and learn about what is going on in their city or state. Many papers often have a money section. This is a great place for kids to pick up money management skills, skills that will come in handy for them as they get older.
http://Comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=2109

Sex and sexual images on television, movies, in magazines and music have become more and more commonplace. It is becoming increasingly hard for a parent to prevent their children form viewing or taking in these images because it seems like they are everywhere, even in commercials and on billboards. Sitcoms, even those aimed at young teens, are laced with sexual suggestions and heavy petting. Even if a parent forbade all television watching, young persons will likely just watch them at their friends’ homes. So what is a parent to do?

It is a good idea to filter out as much as possible. Encourage teens and young people to watch wholesome television congruent with their values. Also sit down and watch television with them and discuss some of the conversations and images. Take experiences from your own life and explain why certain situations like dressing in a sexually provocative manner and premature sex should be avoided. This is a time to be open with your kids (within reason). They will be able to learn with you.

However, in order for this to have an impact, you must have a relationship with your kids. Engage with them, do activities with them, get to know their friends, ask about their day and get them involved in activities where their strengths can shine. Feeling good about themselves and having confidence will enable them to stand strong and make their own decisions when it comes to sex. They will also be less influenced by the sexual images that they see portrayed on t.v., movies and in music.

Supernanny has quoted the following:

Jane Hambleton has dubbed herself the “meanest mom on the planet.”

After finding alcohol in her son’s car, she decided to sell the car and share her 19-year-old’s misdeed with everyone — by placing an ad in the local newspaper.

The ad reads: “OLDS 1999 Intrigue. Totally uncool parents who obviously don’t love teenage son, selling his car. Only driven for three weeks before snoopy mom who needs to get a life found booze under front seat. $3,700/offer. Call meanest mom on the planet.”

I love the idea of logical consequences [and I am assuming that his parents bought him the car in the first place] but it does come across as a little harsh. Having said that who knows what has gone on before about their son’s drinking habits; or the rules by which he was given the car etc.

Do you think she’s mean?