Basic HTML Version
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"
Percent
of
out-of-wedock
bi1hs
to teenage
gi1s
14-19
inthe
us.,
1961-1974.
1961-63
1964-66
1967-69
1970.72
1973
1W4
Reasons
given
by
American
gi1s
age
15-19
for
not
using contraception
119711.
.
1
L1
%
Who
gave reason
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Over hall the out-of-wedlock births in the United States are to teen–
agers. The chart above shows the tragic proportions of this epidemic
of illegitimacy.
A 1971 study revealed the reasons why a group of sexually active
teenage girls (age 15-19) didn't use birth-control methods. lnterest–
ingly enough, only one girl in 15 said she was trying lo have a baby.
they can be candidly and openly an–
swered according to a child's leve! of
understanding. Sorne parents (con–
ditioned by their own parents' awk–
wardness) worry that children will
be embarrassed or frightened by ex–
plicit, honest answers. Chi ldren who
ask questions are curious- they want
to know. And their a ttitude will be
matter-of-fact as long as yours is.
They want to find out, and they
will
find out (accurately or not) sooner
than most parents would like lo be–
lieve.
Sorne chi ld-care experls believe
it's a good idea for parents lo ac–
quaint themselves with the real
medica! names for all body parts
and functions , and teach these
names to their children at the same
time they teach them about toes and
fingers. And they of course feel it's a
lot easier (and a lot more honest) to
tell kids exactly where they carne
from (and how they got here) the
first time they ask, rather than giv–
ing them the traditional runaround
about storks or cabbage patches.
Pregnant friends or relatives can
be a big help in this early education.
lt's fun for youngsters to listen to an
unborn baby's heartbeat or feel him
kick. It's also fun to help change
The
PLAIN TRUTH August-8eptember 1977
diapers or give babies baths. This
sort of open, natural approach can
teach kids worlds more than any
book.
But books can also be helpful–
although it's better to read and dis–
cuss them with kids at an early age
instead of waiting till they can read
them alone.
Reading Bible stories to children
can also open up all sorts of op–
portunities to discuss the morality of
sex. An unexpurgated Bible might
get an X-rating from sorne censors,
but the stories it contains all have
socia lly redeeming value- they
teach a lot of important lessons that
won't be lost on young minds. Also
you can draw your own parallels
between the way biblical characters
behaved and the behavior you ex–
pect from your children.
And it goes without saying that
one of the best ways to show chil–
dren how sex fits into a well-lived
life is by one's own example. If a
marriage demonstrates the responsi–
bility, love and tenderness it ought,
then children will pick up that atti–
tude by osmosis. (For more on this
subject, send for the free booklet
Why
Marriage!- Soon Obsolete?)
If you can make sex education a
normal, natural, integral part of
family life; if you can reach your
kids' minds at a very early age, then
you'll probably have nothing to
worry about gutterwise. When it's
time for your girl to go toa slumber
party,
she'll
be the one
!O
dish out
the straight scoop on "how it's
done." She' ll be the "gutter" the
other kids learn from (although it's
probably good to let a child know
that most parents like to spread the
word in their own special way when
their children are ready). If and
when your child's school covers
human sexuality in class, you'll
know that your child will be able to
take this "neutral" information and
view it through eyes that have al–
ready been trained to discern good
and bad according to your family
value system.
And when your son or daughter
mu st make a personal decisio n
about sex before marriage, then
you'll know that they know how you
expect them to behave, and the
compelling reasons why.
For more information on commu–
nication
in
the family and sex edu–
cation for adults and children, see
the list of additional reading on
page 19. O
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