Q. Our 17-year-old son wants us to let his girlfriend spend the night at our house in his room. He has two beds since his older brother left for college. He says nothing will happen and lots of his friends' parents allow this. Should we try it and see how it works?
A. You're kidding, right?
Let me ask that in a slightly different way:
You are kidding, right?
Unfortunately, I know you're not because you are not the first parent to ask me this.
I must ask you:
Are you ready to be grandparents? Are you ready to help raise, in your home, your new grandchild? Are you prepared to be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and/or sued?
The answer is an emphatic NO! I don't care what promises are made to you, it's a horrible idea and invites disaster.
Teens Not Emotionally Ready for Sex
In addition to all the moral issues, teenagers are simply not emotionally prepared for sex. While their bodies and hormones are many times well prepared, their emotions are not.
And that goes for boys as well as girls.
It's time for a healthy dose of Vitamin NO in answer to your son's question.
And by the way, anytime you hear "everyone else's parents are letting them do it," watch out.
More than likely it's not true.
Leading parenting expert Jeff Herring is a teen and family therapist, parenting coach, speaker and syndicated parenting and relationship columnist. Jeff invites you to visit parentingyourteenager.com for 100's of tips and tools for parenting through the teenage years. You can also subscribe to his f'ree weekly internet newsletter "ParenitngYourTeenager."
elite cleaning services Des Plaines ..What parents of a teen haven't wondered where their sweet... Read More
One of my first memories of childhood is that of... Read More
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
When my son was 18 (and had finished school), he... Read More
There are two methods for teaching children to read; whole... Read More
Dining in a restaurant with kids can be very enervating... Read More
When our oldest son was 2, my wife went out... Read More
Many research studies have shown the overall effectiveness of stimulant... Read More
We adopted our first child when he was three months... Read More
Sex has a lot to answer for ? babies usually... Read More
As the kids go back to school, you can go... Read More
Children do what feels good to them and follow their... Read More
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for... Read More
What's in a name? Er?well, everything, really! Of course your... Read More
Minus all meningitis thoughts. The flu symptons were strong. Headache,... Read More
There are so many learning labels floating around these days... Read More
Is there anything wrong with lying, cheating, stealing, shop-lifting, taking... Read More
If your parenting methods include abuse of any kind; physical,... Read More
The brightly colored plastic mobile dangles lazily overhead in the... Read More
My cousin boasts five names and I confess that when... Read More
Q. What's the right age to start giving a Bible... Read More
In this form of treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder... Read More
The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in... Read More
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is making... Read More
Handing Down Malignancy.Children may begin bright and eager to face... Read More
eco-friendly cleaning service Buffalo Grove ..Diapers..Changing a dirty diaper is not the best part of... Read More
Every parent wants their child to develop positive character traits.... Read More
Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More
Pool safety should be on the minds of every parent... Read More
I look out of the window as I am writing... Read More
Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite... Read More
Many families, ours included, have learned that breakfast is eaten... Read More
Incest is sexual activity, ranging from fondling to intercourse, between... Read More
Research has shown that the present generation of children worldwide... Read More
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith has said that more people die... Read More
Dear Sir, It was with some interest that I read... Read More
In the beginning, having children was just a byproduct of... Read More
You may think once your child has gone off to... Read More
It has been a long day. Home from work, you... Read More
More and more parents are expressing their concerns about how... Read More
Dining in a restaurant with kids can be very enervating... Read More
According to a September 2004 study by the RAND Corporation,... Read More
We were sitting in the family room. My kids had... Read More
When my firstborn arrived into this serene and peaceful household,... Read More
As the flurry of Back to School activities subside, parents... Read More
"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine,... Read More
There has been much attention in the media of late... Read More
There is nothing quite like hiking with small children. The... Read More
It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that... Read More
Ever blown your top to your children, only to regret... Read More
Parenting |