How to Talk to Teens About Sex and Pregnancy

Since teen television sensation announced that she is in fact pregnant, many parents have been left to pick up the pieces and answer the tough questions. Many times, celebrities bring up hard to talk about topics and parents have to quickly decide how to handle it. In many instances, tweens haven't had that special talk with their parents and it might be time to sit down and face the questions.

Here are some helpful tips when dealing with the sensitive topic of sex and teen pregnancy.

1. Start early in life. Do not wait until they have already heard stuff from outside sources such as television and their peers. The wrong message can make this conversation even more difficult than it needs to be.

2. Endorse an open environment for your kids. Make sure they know that they can always come to you. This is the reason that you hear so often about teens hiding their pregnancy and then killing the baby. Don't let that happen. Tell your kids that you will always stand by them and mean it. If they trust you, they will come to you with any issue they might have.

3. Instill your values and morals into your children. Make sure that they know that morals and values are an important part of life. If a child values your opinion and has high morals, such as staying in school and getting a college education, they may be more apt to think twice about having sex.

4. Listen to your child. Hear what they are saying. In today's busy society, finding time to give your child your undivided attention may be difficult, but it isn't impossible. Put it on your to do list if necessary. Keep the lines of communication open.

5. Be honest. Do you want your child to always be honest with you? The best way to ensure your child values honesty is to practice it yourself. Children learn by example. Be a good one and always answer questions in an honest, age appropriate way.

6. When the media and celebrities do things that aren't good, use it to your advantage and use them as an example. With Jamie Lynn Spears, explain to your child how she is an actress and now she will probably not be one because she now has to be a young mother. Also explain how hard it will be for her to finish school and get a college degree. Some children may understand a situation better if their role models are included in the conversation and if their lives are used as examples.

7. Talk about the hard to talk about topics more than just once. With each new year of growth, new questions will arise. Topics should include honest but age appropriate information so each year, things should be addressed again.

8. Make sure your child has goals. Goals can very often keep kids out of trouble. If a child wants to be a doctor, make sure they are aware that good grades are necessary to get into medical school. Goals can prevent trouble in some kids.

9. Always know who your kids are hanging out with. Peer pressure is all around. Many children follow the lead of their friends. Making sure you know who it is that your children are hanging out with can help you to determine what topics need to be hit first.

10. Love your children and make sure they know it. Be a trusting, honest parent and always be there. Many children that do bad things are not getting the proper attention from their parents at home so they seek out the wrong types of attention outside of the house. Don't let that happen. Give your children the attention they need to thrive without getting into trouble.

Being a parent means being alert and responsible. Parenting is the hardest job anyone will ever have. Parenting support groups, on line and in person, can help you out when you feel that you need help. The tween and teen years are rough, but we can come out of it alive and with children that respect us for what we did for them.