Teenagers Thinking About Having Sex...They Are Not Ready for the Consequences

For those of you who don't know, I have a 14 year old son--a teenager. I'm anxious to see how he gets through these teenage years. I think it's because my older son wasn't as open with me when it came to what was going on in his life and his relationships, compared to my younger son who does talk to me about these things.

My younger son has his so-called girlfriends he talks on the phone with or meet at the mall, to walk around or go to the movies. I haven't met any of them yet, so that's a good sign. Once that happens, I'll think differently about the situation. I'm not taking it serious right now. Why should I? What do teenagers know about a relationship--now really? From what I can see, my son and his girlfriends don't spend much time together, except at the library during the week or if she comes to the neighborhood every now and then. On the other hand, I really don't know how much time they spend together--do I? To be honest it's hilarious to me since they have no idea about relationships. He's only 14-let's be real. Many of us probably thought the same way, huh?

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. I worry about my son engaging in sexual activity. I talk to him all the time about sex and the consequences. I don't want him to have sex any time soon. I feel all children should be educated about sex at home. At the same time, he's a boy who knows about girls and sex. Teenagers aren't mature enough to handle the consequences of sex--physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. There are AIDS, HIV and other STDs. If a teenage girl becomes pregnant, are the two of them ready to drop out of school and get a job to take care of the child or children? They would definitely be too young to get a job if they are between the ages of 13 and 15. This leaves the Grandmother, Great-Grandmother or someone else to raise the teenagers and their child or children. I would like for my son to graduate from high school, from college, and then find a job to support himself, before even thinking about supporting a family--doesn't every parent?

I know how teenagers can be, just like a lot of you do. This is what scares me. I'll continue educating my son now about sex in hopes it will prevent him from making bad decisions in the future. With teenagers it's all about hanging out with their friends, wanting to be liked, and falling to temptation by doing almost anything their friends are doing. I feel peer pressure is the worst part of growing up. It's easy to get caught up in something and have to struggle a lifetime because of it, whatever it is. I'll continue encouraging my son to think through the situations he finds himself in, before deciding to take any action, and making the right decisions. I also remind him often to never forget to PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens). I feel this is good advice for all teenagers. What else can we do? If they keep these thoughts in mind, they'll never go wrong.

One thing I have noticed as my son gets older, he's starting to see what I tell him is the truth, what the consequences can be for making bad decisions, as well as becoming stronger in his faith. These are all very good signs that he is listening. That is all I can ask for.