teen pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is the issue which has got the worldwide attention. The irony lies where this major issue is still left undiscussed.  The results of an early pregnancy should be inculcated in our kids at a very early stage. The noticeable side-effects following the pregnancy are left unheard where a young girl is seen shouldering the responsibilities of the young kid on her fragile shoulders. The overgrown belly of the young girls never fails to take us by surprise. There is a growing need to have a two-way talk to address this rampant issue of teen pregnancy.

The alarming rise in the percentage of teen pregnancies has created havoc in the lives of the young girls. The adolescent girl experiences motherhood at the age where her major concerns can be anything apart from raising another human being. The reality is quite harsh and cannot be ignored, proper steps if not taken at this stage can ruin the child’s future. There is an immediate need for comprehensive understanding on the part of teenagers to understand the use of contraceptive techniques and consequences that can follow if the conditions are not addressed timely.

1.      Question your perception

It is important that you understand your child’s perception of sexuality. Ask yourself the most important questions about sexuality based on your perceptions. You and your kids are required to be on the same page regarding the below-listed questions.

  1. What is your sexual values and attitudes?
  2. How do you feel about teens being sexually active?
  3. Who needs to set the sexual limits in a relationship?
  4. Were you sexually active as a teen?
  5. Were you sexually active before you got married?
  6. What do your kids think about your perception?
  7. How do you feel about encouraging teens to abstain from sex?

2.      Two-way communication

Establish a smooth communication with your kids about sex. Tell them the difference between love and lust. So, they are in a better position to determine what is best for them. Be very specific. Sex is not a topic which has to be kept covered under the sheets of taboo and embarrassment. Try to step into their shoes and understand concerns. Make a two-way street of conversations with your kids, where they don’t feel the pressure of being judged.

You must become the rock-solid support whom they can rely on. In case of things go wrong. Don’t walk the talk of sex, discuss and talk about it in entirety. Understand their queries and try your level best to understand their perceptions. Be approachable to their naive questions. You have to make them believe that they can trust you with the darkest secrets of their life.

3.      Queries of the kids.

The most common questions which kids have are nowhere close to what we parent think are even the legit questions. The below-listed questions are the common query from their end:

  1. How should you ensure the feeling of love?
  2. Is sex going to bring me closer to my boyfriend/girlfriend?
  3. Is sex necessary to bring to people closer in a relationship?
  4. Is it okay to be sexually active before marriage?
  5. Can saying no to sex, hurt the feelings of your partner?
  6. How do I respond to the increased pressure for having sex by my partner?
  7. Is it okay to use contraceptives? How does it work?

Children being the easily impressionable creatures don’t exactly know how this complicated stuff works. It becomes the responsibility of the parents to educate them about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and the need to use protection.

Sex is the pure way to express love and should not be remarked as the way for lust.

4.        Keep your eyes open

It’s crucial to monitor the activities of your kids. What are they doing? In what activities are they involved on the consistent basis? There is a high probability of you being accused of being snoopy but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. You must make them understand the mature concepts of intimacy so that they may not fall prey to it later.

5.      Judge their company

Since peers cast a strong influence on teens, teen years are very precious and fragile where impressions can be easily imprinted on the fragile young brains and are not erased for a very long time.  It is crucial that you Understand as to what circle your child is growing into.

Maybe you can welcome them for a quick snack to know a little about the perception of the company your child is into.

6.      Dating requires maturity

It’s important that your kids understand that dating requires maturity and life is much more than that. It is a conundrum of various responsibilities that are to be undertaken to ensure the overall development. Discourage early dating at the fragile age as the same can restrict the growth of an individual. Dating shouldn’t be prohibited but restricted until the child becomes little more mature.

7.      Set the limits

Imprint a strong idea on teen dating inculcated in the brains at a very young age. Try setting limits which can prevent taking any sort of decision which can be harmful for their future. Advise them to maintain a healthy relationship with the opposite sex and not get into any serious relationships, at least not during teenage years.

8.      Futuristic path

Help your teens understand what possibly the right age is to opt for parenthood. Make them aware about the meaningful goals that are far more important than pursuing parenthood at such a fragile age. Make a habit of setting goals in their life and means to achieve them. Parenthood at such a fragile age can derail the dream which is ultimately not worth it.

9.      Value of education

Education needs to be prioritized at least till the school level, if any sort of hindrance is witnessed that is resulting in the decline of grades, the latter should be immediately investigated. failure in school is one of the key factors resulting in teen pregnancy. Keep consistent track of your children’s grades and make sure that you meet up with teachers regularly to the overall performance away from numbers.

10.  Social activities

Keep a casual look upon their overall social media activity. Get to know what all shows they prefer to watch, books they read. There is nothing wrong in being the “media literate” as kids get easily influenced by the media. inculcate the habit of thinking critically so they may have the fare idea as to what is best for them.

11.  Show love

Hug your kids often, show your love and there lies no harm in telling your children that they are precious to you, you love them no matter what. Step into their shoes and figure out any emotional problem they are facing.

12.  Spend time

Spend some time with your kids and learn about their daily activities. Love is the foundation of every relationship. It is the deposit you do in a relationship which is going to be the solider in the rough times.

 Every child is priceless, don’t destroy their self-respect by making the shallow comparisons of their performance with other kids, every child is unique and that should be celebrated.

13.  Safe Sex

Safe sex should be explained to them followed the use of contraceptive medicines and condoms. These details are necessary to be explained to them and it shouldn’t be enveloped with shyness.

14.  Respect is her right

Daughters mostly suffer from the issues of self-respect. Sometimes it is due to their body frame or the declining respect to ones worth.

It’s a mommy’s job to understand her daughter and learn about her emotional needs try to understand her emotional needs without judging her, don’t forget you are one who is going to give her wings to fly high in skies.

15.  Brief them the Consequences

 Explain them clearly about the consequences of parenthood at such fragile age. The damage causes to one’s overall health physically and mentally. It may sound harsh, but you need to undertake these steps. “Of course, teens do realize the difficulties of parenthood, once they have them, but it is always better to educate them about the side effects of teen pregnancy beforehand.

16.  Don’t make sex a taboo

Sex isn’t a taboo and one can discuss it openly. Conversation continuously helps you to have a better understanding of the overall concept. Sex is not a taboo one should abolish these sort of thoughts as this can hinder the thought procedure of your child.