Condom Commercials!

[FishermanTim]

I don't have kids of my own, but when my neices and nephews are over, I make it a point to moniter what they watch. Luckily, they're still at the "kissing is yucky" stage. If you consistantly reinforce proper values, the children will pick up on them. Teens nowadays don't see teen sex as a problem, but it is setting the stage for a nasty moral and self esteem issue as they get older. These same kids that thought it wasn't a problem when they did those things as teens will most likely be the ones trying to force others to do it as young adults. This will generally mean an increase in date rape and abuse. I may sound over zealous, but i've seen that trend happening since I was a kid. Thhe key at this point would be to STAY involved in your child's life.

[Jimbo]

I wish it was that easy FishermanTim. I think many of us parents try, but no matter how hard most teens will go thru a period where in feeling their maturity and independence they try to distance themselves from their parents. I can go thru an entire week where my conversations with my 15 year old take place in the time she gets home from softball til she quickly chokes down some food and disappears into her room where she's got a PC, a phone, and a TV (with teen shows like The O.C that don't hold much back). She's in her own world. She confides in her mother, just not me. Schools are a help, but maybe part of the problem, I don't know. My girl just got done with about two and a half weeks or rather intensive, according to her, graphic sex ed. The complete how to for teens yearning to get it on. It's no longer, "If your thinking about having sex...", no, now it's "When you have sex, make sure you have protection." I don't like to even think about it happening, but if it takes a condom commercial in the middle of my Sunday dinner to remind some young horney kid who's about to have sex with my daughter that he ought to stop by CVS on the way for a threepack, well so be it. If she asks, I can always make up something so my 9 year old doesn't understand what the commercial is about.
Hey, have a good weekend, folks, I'm going home now to lock my daughter in the basement.

[FishermanTim]

Hey Jimbo,
Remember when it USED to be a stigma to ge an unwed mother?
One (of many) thoughts that kept me out of the doghouse was the idea that if you were a teenage parent, your days (and nights) of fun were gone. You had the resposibility of raising a child.
Now, the boys dump the girls because they don't like having to tote the baby around, or they "dump" the baby on their parents as free babysitting/daycare.
Mind you, I'm not against asking family to watch the child from time to time, but not EVER Friday night so the kids can go out and get involved in the same activities that created the baby in the first place.
If I can influence my nieces and nephews in any way, helping them to be more responsible, then I have succeeded.