How to Win the Battle Against Teen Pregnancy

The teen pregnancy dilemma comes flying in from multiple directions. In order to address the problem of what to do about it becomes complicated. A teen girl who has not developed a strong positive relationship with her parents is at a severe risk of pregnancy.

The same is true for teens who do not have their friendships and relationships monitored regularly. On another level sits peer pressure in some communities that suggests it is a good thing if a teen girl becomes impregnated. Toss in a few other problem areas, and the recipe for unplanned teen pregnancy flows forth.

A teenaged girl needs her parents. The parent that waits until she is a teenager to begin to develop a relationship is in trouble. The parent and child bond has to be firmly established in early childhood and reinforced continually throughout the pre-adolescent years. It is not the responsibility of the child to make this happen. This is the role of the parent.

Taking time each day to spend time with your child is critical if you want them to spend any of their teen years with you. I always feel sorry for parents who have teens that do not want to have them in their life beyond the front door of the house. This behavior often includes a sense of embarrassment of having the teen’s friends and peer group meet the parents. When parents are excluded from the private lives of teens, those lives will frequently make many wrong turns. Too often, the end of this trip is to the doctor to confirm a teen pregnancy.

Even with a better-than-average parent and teen relationship, too much freedom can lead to bad choices in the teen’s life and lifestyle. Too many parties, too much alcohol, and too many loose friends will bring teens to the slippery slope of early sexual experimentation. By having at least remedial monitoring of this activity, parents can help reduce the risk of teen pregnancy dramatically. This does not require parents who have built outstanding relationships with their child. Even if the relationship is not warm, parents should pay attention to where their children go, how long they stay, and with whom they associate. Fear of upsetting the child in this case should be far down on the list of concerns compared to a teen pregnancy.

The wise parent will note carefully what the outcome of others a few years older have been in the peer group that involves their offspring. If the girls frequently become pregnant by fifteen or sixteen years of age, this is not the group for your child. If the boys or young men brag often about their sexual conquests and possibly children they have fathered, run away from this group with your daughter in tow.