Join with other parents to take a stand for abstinence until marriage education! Visit http://www.parentsfortruth.org/ for more information and to learn about what many schools are bringing into the classroom 'under the radar'. Be sure to watch the video too! -A service of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA)
Parent Resources: Communicating with your Teen(s) about Sex
Did you know?
• 93% of teens surveyed said that teens should be given a strong message that they should abstain from sex
• 64% of sexually active teens regret their decision
• In one hour, 14 teens will give birth out of wedlock and 22 will have an abortion
Pregnancy and STDs
• 53% of unintended pregnancies occurred among women who were using birth control
• 1 in 4 sexually active teens has an STD (10,000 new cases each day)
• 1 in 5 sexually active teen girls gets pregnant (2,000 new cases each day)
• Most people infected with an STD don’t even know it
Risky Behaviors
• Teens that drink or do drugs ARE more likely to become sexually active
• When parents are not present at a party; alcohol is 16 times more likely to be available and marijuana is 29 times more likely to be available
• By the time a teen is 17, almost half (46%) will have attended a party where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking pot, or using other drugs while a parent was present
Four A's of Parenting
What do children need to make good decisions and avoid the negative consequences of unhealthy decisions? Parents need to give their children love and limits. Practicing the 4 A's can help you give your children what they need for healthy and happy futures.
Affection -Affection helps a child to feel loved. Affection is important because a child who knows he/she is loved will feel secure, confident and connected. He/she will be more open to advice and correction. Communicating love requires creativity. Every child is different and needs to be told "I love you" in a variety of ways.
Affirmation -Affirmation says to a child: "You are important and valuable." Children need encouragement and validation. Giving words of affirmation helps a child to feel confident and builds their self-esteem. Communicating affirmation can be done in several ways – by giving sincere compliments, thanks, recognition and attentively listening to what a child has to say. All of these acts communicate respect and recognition of a child's importance.
Advice -Advice is a way to pass on values to our children. We do this by giving clear instruction and making our expectations known to them. Advice is important because children need guidance, direction and limits in order to grow into responsible adults. The best instruction comes from modeling the desired behavior ourselves.
Accountability -Accountability means that we keep track of what happened and teach our children the importance of accepting the consequences of their actions and making corrections when needed. Children need to know that there are consequences for the choices they make.
Tips for Parents
• Clearly communicate your values and expectations about sex and intimacy
• Make sure your actions match your words
• Encourage open communication about sex at a young age
• Be accessible, approachable and willing to listen
• Make information available
• Be involved in your child's school
• Point out the positive
• Give your child good reasons for making positive, healthy choices
• Know the facts and share them in a positive way
Other parent resources:
Dept. of Health and Human Services Public Education Campaign:
http://www.4parents.gov/index.html
Illinois Abstinence Coalition:
http://www.abstinencefirst.org/parents/
The Parents Television Council- Special Report: http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/familyhour/familyhour-92007-finalPDF.pdf