"9 year old girl gives birth to baby boy"
"23yr old woman is world's youngest grandma"
"Teen Mom show helps reduce teenage pregnancy rates"
"Basket Ball Wives show makes girls stupid"
Everywhere I turn there is a story surrounding a young girl and her sex life. Teen sex and pregnancy is everywhere. And yes, in our society toady it seems to be more readily dealt with although it certainly is not the best thing in the world. Kids have sex. Period. Everyone remember the movie "KIDS"? Or remember when we were 14, 15, 16...right...But that doesn't make it any more right than it has ever been. Teen sex is wrong, but it is ever present in our society and therefore we must deal with it.
Please make no mistake, I am not in favor of waiting for marriage, not at all. I feel people should experience themselves and the world before they settle down. I know first hand that if you don't you will spend many days wondering what it would have been like to live reckless and free, even if for only a short period of time. Young men want to sleep around, young girls want to feel wanted. Attraction, it's powerful wonderful thing.
I'm already digressing, back to the topic...
Also, there is much sensationalism around reality TV. Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good catfight between two girls over the color red or any other trivial thing as much as the next person. However, I do not feel this type of behavior should be displayed so easily in front of kid's faces. Young girls are impressionable. They mimic behavior. We all (girls) have put on our mom's lipstick when we were 2 or 3, and our kids have done it too. It's the cutest thing ever. BUT, realize that your 2 year old already realizes her identity as a girl, and therefore, from watching mommy, knows or feels she is supposed to wear lipstick, and therefore mimics your behavior. Now, cut to your daughter being 9, 10, or 13, or 15, and she is watching Bad Girls or BasketBall Wives. Or maybe she is watching you watch it. Or she is watching it with you. O_o See the correlation?? Your daughter now sees the behavior of these women on TV and will remember and mimic that in various ways. You may be saying to yourself, "not my daughter, I talk to her about how this type of behavior is not acceptable". Ok, but are you watching this show? are you eager to see the next episode or who got into what fight for what reason. Ok so now your daughter has just observed you go right against what you tried to teach her. And guess what kids do or try when you are not watching......O_o that's right, they try or do things that you tell them not to do when your back is turned. After all, if they are good kids they aren't doing it in your face. Don't be a fool sister.
To Summarize...Point Being...
Your child will choose her own path no matter what you teach her. She is an individual, and will exercise that right upon you eventually, more likely sooner than later. That's not to say don't teach her things, that's to say teach her the right things. Set the right example. And don't allow her to grow up too fast. My oldest daughter is 13. She has wanted to get fake acrylic nails since...forever. She has never had them. NEVER. Not even on special occasions. Your real nails are beautiful. You don't need to attract that much attention yourself at such a young age. Why put a big ol' red flag on your daughter? My daughter doesn't wear makeup but I have been known to throw a lil mascara and shadow on her for special events. Not too much, just a little. And I put it on, not because I don't trust her, but because I set the example.
Kids are having sex younger and younger now. Every time I listen to the radio there is not one song that comes on that doesn't deal with a sexual tone. I like the songs, the beats, etc. But I don't play that shit when my kids are in the car. I control their iPod play list. And no, they are not sheltered, they hear those songs anyways & know them without me promoting them to them.
Basically, our kids are going to be exposed to all kinds of things that are bad influences on them no matter what we do as parents. So why be the person to exemplify the wrong kind of behavior to them?
Live, Love, Laugh, Learn & Teach...
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