"Abstinence works"..... (and has been proven effective in raising the teen birth rate in Texas). Not only are Texas teenagers having more sex , the rate of repeated pregnancies in young people has also risen dramatically.
These statistics don't "work" for us, Mr. Perry; do they work for you?
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 5, 2011
Parent-Child Communication: The "Super Protector"
“But they just won’t listen!” How often do adults find themselves uttering this phrase? Parents can get extremely frustrated with pre-teens and adolescents who seem to tune everything out. At times, they may even think talking is not worth the time or effort. This assumption could not be further from the truth.
It is integral that parents discuss issues with their children on a frequent basis because kids ARE listening. Everything from safer sex talks to a chat about school can strengthen familial ties. A recently released article details a similar study and report release by Planned Parenthood and Teenwise, respectively, which analyze parent-child relationships and their impact on a child’s decision-making. Not surprisingly, both organizations point to the effectiveness of parent-child bonding and refer to this bond as a “super protector”. The importance of parents as role models is often understated, and whether a child lives in a nuclear family or is raised by a relative or legal guardian, those adults can make a huge difference in a teen’s life.
Children clearly benefit from parental interaction and value relationships with their role models. Involvement in a child’s life is undeniably beneficial and leads to positive consequences, but the opposite can also hold true. The article not only ties uninvolved parents to teen pregnancy, but also specifies eating disorders, violence, poor grades, and STIS as possible consequences. Most parents are keen on keeping children away from the above ills, but just as many parents feel that they are powerless to make an impact. Research proves otherwise.
The connection becomes glaringly clear as the article progresses. A survey found that 46% of adolescents point to parents as the most influential people in their lives when it comes to decisions related to sex. 20% listed friends as their number one influencers, but that 26 point gap speaks volumes. While kids might prefer to be with peers and shirk in embarrassment at their parents’ “lame” antics, they clearly look to these adults for advice, guidance, and support. Parental opinion is not only valued but taken to heart and applied.
During the teenage years, sex is foreign, confusing, and overwhelming. By creating an open, communicative environment, parents can facilitate conversations that might otherwise go unspoken. Many teens that delay intercourse or opt to use protection are heavily influenced by their parents. Openness is a key component of successful growth and maturation, and parents should not give up just yet. Keep talking, keep listening, and keep loving.
See the full article here: http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/86954/group/Opinion/
It is integral that parents discuss issues with their children on a frequent basis because kids ARE listening. Everything from safer sex talks to a chat about school can strengthen familial ties. A recently released article details a similar study and report release by Planned Parenthood and Teenwise, respectively, which analyze parent-child relationships and their impact on a child’s decision-making. Not surprisingly, both organizations point to the effectiveness of parent-child bonding and refer to this bond as a “super protector”. The importance of parents as role models is often understated, and whether a child lives in a nuclear family or is raised by a relative or legal guardian, those adults can make a huge difference in a teen’s life.
Children clearly benefit from parental interaction and value relationships with their role models. Involvement in a child’s life is undeniably beneficial and leads to positive consequences, but the opposite can also hold true. The article not only ties uninvolved parents to teen pregnancy, but also specifies eating disorders, violence, poor grades, and STIS as possible consequences. Most parents are keen on keeping children away from the above ills, but just as many parents feel that they are powerless to make an impact. Research proves otherwise.
The connection becomes glaringly clear as the article progresses. A survey found that 46% of adolescents point to parents as the most influential people in their lives when it comes to decisions related to sex. 20% listed friends as their number one influencers, but that 26 point gap speaks volumes. While kids might prefer to be with peers and shirk in embarrassment at their parents’ “lame” antics, they clearly look to these adults for advice, guidance, and support. Parental opinion is not only valued but taken to heart and applied.
During the teenage years, sex is foreign, confusing, and overwhelming. By creating an open, communicative environment, parents can facilitate conversations that might otherwise go unspoken. Many teens that delay intercourse or opt to use protection are heavily influenced by their parents. Openness is a key component of successful growth and maturation, and parents should not give up just yet. Keep talking, keep listening, and keep loving.
See the full article here: http://www.echopress.com/event/article/id/86954/group/Opinion/
Monday, August 1, 2011
Episode Review
16 and Pregnant: Episode 309 (Taylor)
This episode seemed to have a lot in common with the last episode we watched (remember Kianna)? 15 year old Taylor, like Kianna, is being raised by her single mom, as is her 17 year old boyfriend Nathan. “I was thinking a lot of crazy things”, Taylor says when she found out she was pregnant. But here, in contrast to the last episode, both Taylor and Nathan want to keep the baby while their moms encourage adoption. “I don’t want you to struggle”, Taylor’s mom says. This is hard-won advice, since Taylor’s mom herself had Taylor when she was a teenager. However, the young couple is looking forward to being a family, even though neither one has a job, car or any concrete plan on how to pay for the baby.
Let’s Go Shopping!
Taylor and Nathan’s first taste of reality comes when they first go baby-supply shopping with only $25 in cash. They quickly realize how expensive an undertaking this is going to be. Taylor begins to pressure Nathan to get a job, which he has promised to do. With all this to think about, Taylor decides to go back-to-school shopping for herself, reasoning that once the baby arrives, buying clothes for herself won’t really be happening.
A Hard Choice
Taylor, Nathan and their moms finally sit down for a chat about the logistics of taking care of the baby once it’s born. Taylor hopes to be able to keep attending school, but they quickly realize that with Nathan at school and both their parents working, this will be impossible. Taylor is not happy at all about this. “I knew there would be sacrifices; I didn’t know high school would be one of them”. She begins to resent Nathan for being able to continue with school.
After baby Aubri is born, Taylor heads home to learn to learn the basics of being a new mom. Her sister is able to help out a lot, but Taylor is still stressed from caring for Aubri and attending virtual high school. Her relationship with Nathan becomes more stressful too. He still does not have a job, so Taylor’s mom must pitch in to help financially, which she warns she can not do for much longer. Nathan is also starting to complain about having to spend so much time doing not-fun things like midnight feedings, and Taylor still resents him for being able to still attend school. The episode ends on an uncertain note after 6 months-the couple is trying to stick together and make things work, but admitting that in life “you never know”.
Our Take on Episode 309
So many of these episodes seem to focus on pregnancy (while spending little time on the less-pleasant things like swollen feet!) and don’t have enough time to cover more than a few weeks or months after the baby is born. I know they do a ‘reunion show” at the end of the season, but I wonder how much detail they are able to fit into one episode. This raises the obvious question- is it realistic for us to expect a certain level of depth from an MTV program whose first goal is entertainment? Just how educational is the average episode? These are great questions… for another post!
This episode seemed to have a lot in common with the last episode we watched (remember Kianna)? 15 year old Taylor, like Kianna, is being raised by her single mom, as is her 17 year old boyfriend Nathan. “I was thinking a lot of crazy things”, Taylor says when she found out she was pregnant. But here, in contrast to the last episode, both Taylor and Nathan want to keep the baby while their moms encourage adoption. “I don’t want you to struggle”, Taylor’s mom says. This is hard-won advice, since Taylor’s mom herself had Taylor when she was a teenager. However, the young couple is looking forward to being a family, even though neither one has a job, car or any concrete plan on how to pay for the baby.
Let’s Go Shopping!
Taylor and Nathan’s first taste of reality comes when they first go baby-supply shopping with only $25 in cash. They quickly realize how expensive an undertaking this is going to be. Taylor begins to pressure Nathan to get a job, which he has promised to do. With all this to think about, Taylor decides to go back-to-school shopping for herself, reasoning that once the baby arrives, buying clothes for herself won’t really be happening.
A Hard Choice
Taylor, Nathan and their moms finally sit down for a chat about the logistics of taking care of the baby once it’s born. Taylor hopes to be able to keep attending school, but they quickly realize that with Nathan at school and both their parents working, this will be impossible. Taylor is not happy at all about this. “I knew there would be sacrifices; I didn’t know high school would be one of them”. She begins to resent Nathan for being able to continue with school.
After baby Aubri is born, Taylor heads home to learn to learn the basics of being a new mom. Her sister is able to help out a lot, but Taylor is still stressed from caring for Aubri and attending virtual high school. Her relationship with Nathan becomes more stressful too. He still does not have a job, so Taylor’s mom must pitch in to help financially, which she warns she can not do for much longer. Nathan is also starting to complain about having to spend so much time doing not-fun things like midnight feedings, and Taylor still resents him for being able to still attend school. The episode ends on an uncertain note after 6 months-the couple is trying to stick together and make things work, but admitting that in life “you never know”.
Our Take on Episode 309
So many of these episodes seem to focus on pregnancy (while spending little time on the less-pleasant things like swollen feet!) and don’t have enough time to cover more than a few weeks or months after the baby is born. I know they do a ‘reunion show” at the end of the season, but I wonder how much detail they are able to fit into one episode. This raises the obvious question- is it realistic for us to expect a certain level of depth from an MTV program whose first goal is entertainment? Just how educational is the average episode? These are great questions… for another post!
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