Teen Issues
Sexually transmitted diseases (also known as STDs) are potentially serious infections, which can be caught by having sexual contact with someone who is infected. It is estimated that approximatley 10 million new cases of STDs are reported in teens each year. This is the approximate reported number - many STDs in teens are unrecognized and untreated.
Becoming pregnant is often a scary time for a teenage girl. In most cases, teens do not plan to become pregnant. It just "happens." Unfortunately, it happens every day and has become a worldwide epidemic.
The important thing is that once you discover that your teen is pregnant, you have to work together to make some really tough decisions, such as:- Whether or not to keep the baby or give it up for adoption
- Knowing where you stand on the topic of abortion
- Who will be responsible for the child both physically and financially
- Will the father be involved in the child's care
- Moodiness
- Irritability
- Anxiety
Have you noticed the TV commercials and magazine ads these days? Marketers have taken hold of the fact that our kids are growing up too fast, and they are capitalizing on it for their own profit. Little girls can buy fashion dolls and toys that teach them to use credit cards. Boys are learning the fundamentals of war games with "new and improved" video games that make things more realistic than ever. These things have become glamorous in our children's eyes, but is this really the pace we should be setting for our kids. What happened to kids playing outside and using their imaginations for creative and fun play dates. Those days are long gone. So, what is a parent to do?
Teaching your child to be responsible is to teach him self-discipline: to be in control andalt make his own decisions. It also means your child needs to be accountable for the choices he makes and is prepared to face the consequences of his actions. It is often easier for parents to give in to children's needs or wants to avoid a battle or to help them - but doing everything for them. Many adults believe that childhood is a time for play, and not a time for work or don't want to take the time to allow children to help with household chores and participate in family matters, outside of experiencing the joys of being a kid.
How often do parents hear, "I'm bored! There's nothing to do." from their kids. Too often, that's for sure. The problem is not so much they are really bored and have nothing to do. There room is filled with games and toys, they have PlayStation, X-Box, and other gaming systems to play with, and there is a neighborhood filled with kids for them to go outside and play with. The problem really is lack of motivation!
