How to Teach a Teen not to be Promiscuous

Teens are surrounded with images of sex, from magazines to television, from music to movies. You can teach a teen not to be promiscuous by following these steps.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Respect

1. Learning by example is how children learn. Teach your pre-teen to value their body with good food, nutrition and exercise. Stressing cleanliness, especially as they enter puberty, opens the door to talking about respecting their body.

2. Explain to your teenager that their healthy body is a gift, and keeping it healthy is their responsibility. Tell your teenager that promiscuous behavior is dangerous and it shows no respect for their bodies. Let them know you do not approve of it.

3. Teach your teenager about various sexually transmitted diseases that can cause cancer, infertility and even death. Discuss how these diseases are transmitted from one person to another and would alter their lives forever. Tell them that their ability to have children could be affected.

4. Reinforce the values that promiscuous behavior will not make them popular, nor is it love. Explain that if a boyfriend or girlfriend really respected them, they would not ask your teen to participate and would respect a firm "no." Teach your teenager that sex is not love, although it can be an expression of love. Let them know that sleeping around just to be popular is a big mistake. Ask your teenager to think of a promiscuous friend and what is said about them; then ask if they want to be talked about in the same way.

Character

5. Help your teenager to stand apart from the crowd who is promiscuous, and be proud of it. Stress the importance of not following the crowd or giving in to peer pressure. Help your teenager to find friends who are also of good character through meetings or social events. Your teen will feel less pressure to be promiscuous when surrounded by like-minded teens.

6. Follow those examples with examples from your own life. Recall an especially difficult time of peer pressure that you've experienced and tell them how you handled it.

Tips & Warnings

• Find a safe online message board for your child to participate in, he will feel less peer pressure with a good support system.
• Keep an open dialogue with your teenager, and let them know you will talk with them about anything.
• Continue to reinforce strong values and thinking for themselves.

Resources

• Teen-aid is a great online resources to help with your teenager.
• The Family Research Council has very informative articles and help with family issues.

[sonbela]

on 10/26/2008 this is enriching to calm down and get moving in securing a elationship with a woman. the conversation is short and can not get over having an appartment, where we could leave togheter.