Here is a recent article I read and would like to share with you.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100202/hl_nm/us_abstinence_only

House rules let your son or daughter know what you expect. They should be clear and fair. You should expect them to be followed. Your pre-teen or teen might complain, but don’t give in. House rules make your child safe and they help your son or daughter make healthy choices.

Hardly any pre-teen or teen will admit that they like rules. But most really do. Rules make them feel loved and safe. They let them know what they can and can not do. Rules give them an easy reason to tell friends, “No, I can’t do that.” So put up House Rules in your house!

Check out your blog next week for a suggested list of “house rules. So do you a set of house rules for your home?

https://www.cpyu.org/Page.aspx?id=76842

The link above is from an article I was reading which I found very interesting.

It’s on the issue of unsupervised “free time” and challenges us as parents to really guard and protect our children. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Hey parents! Have you ever found yourself saying (or thinking) “You are NOT wearing that out of this house!”? We found this article (http://www.homeword.com/FreeAdvice/FreeAdviceDetail.aspx?iFreeAdviceId=2) with some helpful advice about fighting battles over fashion.

As a relatively recent teenager, let me encourage you in your role as a parent: you CAN have a say in what your teen wears! Teenagers are still learning right from wrong, good idea from bad idea, but they shouldn’t have to learn it all the hard way. Yes, clothing may seem insignificant compared to issues of drugs, alcohol, violence, depression, or sex – but your guidance is just as valuable in the small things as it is in the big things. If your teenager’s clothing is screaming a message that they will one day regret, find a way to tell them that, even if it means setting up rules or guidelines. Your teenager may start looking like an adult, but they probably aren’t thinking like one yet, so don’t give up your role as “parent” too soon!

How is a teen in today’s world going to accept and attempt to live out the concept of waiting until they get married to have sex? Abstinence is a tough sell. Trying to get a young adult to understand the idea of delayed gratification alone is hard, even grown adults have trouble with this. That’s why it’s important to present a holistic view of abstinence education. Here at Amplify we want teens to understand that abstinence is achievable and a very healthy choice aside from the other views.  Now making a case for abstinence isn’t easy and it is important to show all benefits along with the risks of being sexual active before marriage. Our program covers supporting topics such as:

• The holistic nature of sex
• The consequences of sexual activity before marriage
• The pressures around them
• Healthy Relationships
• Marriage
• Goal Setting
• Character development
• Personal Testimony which shows the reality of the issues

As we come in contact with teens, our desire is provide the best and most accurate information available along with our genuine concern for their life and their future. This can be a huge challenge for us as we are limited with the time we have with the teens we serve. This again is where you come in. As parents it is so important that you continue this conversation. As you can see there is a lot to talk about and you need to be ready to answer their questions honestly and accurately.