I love the nuggets of wisdom I gather from the comments on this site. We talk a lot about sex and teenagers. Personally I am sad that too many of our girls are putting themselves in harms way (1 in 4 have a VD) and seem to value themselves and their rights and opinions less than those of the boys. So, Brooke, in her follow up thread to the idea of condom's in a prom gift bag asked what can we do...
I think that if some of us spend 10 minutes writing an open letter to today's teens and post it. Then ask AZ Central and The AZ Republic to post some of them where some teens, and parents of teens might be able to reflect on them, someone might get a message they need to hear?
10 minutes to DO SOMETHING. What do you think? Shouldn't we at least try? Maybe in the fall we present these open letters to some schools and see what they can do with them.
I know this is a little Polyanna, but anonymous advice/council/observations/musings just MIGHT be the support some young person needs? Something to help them be strong enough to say "NO" if they want to say "NO."
(Later) I just read the "What advice would you give yourself at 17" posts, I think those are all great and should go with these...
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
I'll start. On the occasion
I'll start.
On the occasion of my 40th birthday I feel qualified to tell you a few things.
- Choose a path, even a meandering one. Don't head into your future directionless.
- Think, reason and research. Don't act hastily, don't rely soley on emotion to lead your decisions.
- Take your science classes seriously. This is the foundation of critical thinking, which is essential to your success as an adult.
- Practice kindness.
- People always come first.
A message for the young women: you don't have to spend nearly as much time battling your way through gender politics as I did. In careers, education, marriage, you've got equal footing with the guys. Use it wisely. You call the shots. This goes for sex, too. You decide what is right for you and when.
Susan is mom to Alexander, Isabel, David and stepmom to Eric. Make sure your email address is current, we'll be giving out great prizes DAILY in September after our site makeover! Don't miss out!
I can't remember where I
I can't remember where I heard this, but it's a quote from a VERY WISE 10 year-old girl:
"No boy is worth crying over, and the one who is won't make you cry."
Girls --- hold out for that boy, no matter how long it takes to find him, because you are ALL worth it!
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
I think I've seen this on a
I think I've seen this on a plaque. It is very sage!
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.
OK, I'll bite: You are
OK, I'll bite:
You are becoming an adult, that means you are going to become your own advocate. If your parents haven't done a good job advocating for you in the past, that's a shame, but you can start to take over now. Know your mind, and listen to your body. These 2 things will keep you out of most of the serious problems in life.
You can't use sex to get love, and you can't use love to get sex. But if you're lucky, you get both, and they make each other better.
Price charming probably isn't coming. Learn how to handle your finances. And if he does come along, he'll appreciate that you know your way around your 401k and can manage everyday expenses. Not to mention, he'd probably really like it if you could change a tire in an emergency.
Anyone who you would have to dumb yourself down for isn't worth dating. There are lots of guys out there who like smart women. Only date men who can appreciate the whole you.
Everyone does stupid things from time to time. Don't do something more stupid to try to cover up the first stupid thing. Just apologize to whomever you've wronged, accept the consequences, and likely it will pass. Most things aren't forever unless you actively make them so through your own actions.
Thanks Ladies, here is my 2
Thanks Ladies, here is my 2 cents:
An Open letter to today’s teens:
Sex has been around FOREVER! Your generation is not the first to experiment, explore, learn, love, suffer, be rebellious, be young… I do think yours is the first however to risk your health and life when technology and knowledge provide ways for you to make smarter decisions. When 1 in 4 of you are testing positive for venereal disease, when unwed births are at an all time high, I have to ask “What is going on with our girls?” Don’t they know they can say “no?” Don’t they know if they want to say “yes” then they should keep their own health and well-being as their primary focus?
I want to tell you, youth of today, that sex has been around forever, and will continue to be around. There is no rush, it will still be here tomorrow and the day after. However, you will not be young forever, you will not have another time to be care-free and innocent and to focus on yourself. This is your time to learn who you are. Take advantage of this. People who respect you, will respect your decision to wait to have sex or your insistence that sex be protected. And it should be painfully obvious, if they don’t respect your decision, they aren’t worth investing in. You will never have to worry that you are pregnant or have a disease if you don’t make decisions that make this a possibility.
You ladies are too valuable, too smart, too precious to be putting yourself at risk for these guys who can’t even keep their pants up! Be choosey! Then be more choosey. Wait to have sex. Be smart! Don’t put yourself in situations where pressure/desire might overrun common sense.
Protect yourself, respect yourself!
It isn’t easy, but you are not alone! Be strong girls. We need you to be free to enjoy your lives to the fullest, to be able to take advantage of every opportunity this world affords. We need you to learn about yourselves and your strengths so you can help teach our daughters how to be smart and strong.
Be smart!
Lovemy4 is a discussion leader for North Central Phoenix, tired mother of 4 great kids and wife to one great husband.