More Family Meals = Less Risky Sex
Author: DavidJones // Category: Ethics, Family, Food, Pop Culture, Youth Culture
What does your typical dinner look like? Do you sit down as a family and talk about the day? Is there complete silence, with the exception of munching and chewing? Is everyone distracted by what’s on TV? Does it go by unplanned with each individual family member being responsible for finding his or her own food?
A new study shows your meal times could explain a lot about your family and where your teen may be headed. According to the Calgary Herald, the more meals a family eats together, the less chance their teen will be involved in risky sex.
These results should not be surprising. It seems obvious that the more time a family spends together, the less chance there will be that a teen in that family will be involved in promiscuous activity. When a teen finds love and acceptance in the home, there is no need to search for it from outside sources. Many teens that participate in overtly sexual behavior do so to try to fulfill a need that has been left from parental negligence.
While the results of the study might not be a shock, it is a surprise that so few parents are fulfilling their necessary roles in their households. Understanding the needs of teens and putting that understanding into practice are completely different issues. Many parents know they need to spend time with the teenager, but they simply do not do it. The intention is there, but that is the extent of the effort.
Your teenager needs your time. Financial provisions are great, but they do not mean a thing if you are not investing your life in him or her. Handing a teenager five dollars for dinner does not mean nearly as much as taking him or her to dinner.
How do you want your teenager to grow up? Do you want him or her seeking fulfillment in an empty world of sexual promiscuity, or do you want your teen finding purpose and meaning by spending quality time with you? The answer is easy. Putting it into practice might be a little more difficult. Why not start tonight with dinner? For the entire article, check out http://tinyurl.com/6j9wjw
Tags: Acceptance, Calgary Herald, D6, Family Meals, Love, Meaning, Purpose, Risky Sex, Teens
October 20th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I think one of the keys in this article is the following quote: “However, having a parent who used “negative and psychologically controlling” behavior increased the likelihood that a teen would be having risky sex. This includes “criticizing the ideas of the adolescents, controlling and directing what they think and how they feel,” Coley explained.”
It’s not enough to just hang out. Parents have to be open to their kids ideas, opinions, feelings.
October 20th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
As opposed to the semi-risky or not-so-risky sex they might participate in?
October 20th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
“Financial provisions are great, but they do not mean a thing if you are not investing your life in him or her.”
Investing goes much deeper than hanging out. It involves purposeful and meaningful intentions.