Bad parenting advice
This excerpt from a CNN article caught my eye as the most misguided “parental advice” I have ever heard.
This is part of a document called “Ten Tips for Parents.” The goal which the “tips” are supposed to aid is preventing one’s kids from having sex, which I regard as a completely futile goal. Either they will do it or they won’t. You can’t change it. Parental interference will only make them hate you in the process. But that’s not why this is the most asinine suggestion ever. Read on.
I quote:
5. Discourage early, frequent and steady dating.
Source: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
That’s right, parents. See, after all, the “problem” that leads to sex is that teenagers date. That much is true. So what parents should do is discourage the formation of real relationships. It’s much more desirable for your children to date sporadically, and with people they don’t really know that well.
Idiots!
If any self-respecting teenager cared what his parents “encouraged” when it comes to his/her personal life (which is a big “if”), this would still not lead to a lack of sex. The hormones are there. It’s still going to be just as likely as it was before. But now it’s going to be with some slut (or man-whore) in the back of a car that your kid barely knows instead of a guy or girl you actually know, the boyfriend/girlfriend, the one who comes over and stays for dinner and who actually helps your son/daughter learn to have a healthy adult relationship. So what if your kids are having sex? They would be anyway, behind your back. Accept that, and then your best option is to encourage a healthy, stable relationship, where at least they will be less likely to regret it, and become used to behaving like an adult instead of thinking that dating is some optional thing to be avoided and that sex is something to be ashamed of that only “bad” people do.
And that’s my soapbox for today. Thanks for reading, and remember what I’m saying when you have kids.
