Sex at 14?

by headisspinning 71 Replies latest jw friends

  • saltyoldlady
    saltyoldlady

    My grandchildren tell me this is not at all uncommon. Kids are having sex in grade school even. But it breaks the heart of any parent!

    Two good things to consider - one the kid has been honest and upfront with you. That is a real plus. He doesn't want to put on a facade at the KH - or represent himself as what he is not. There is a whole lot of commendation for his sincerity and truthfulness before God. And two - he feels confident enough of your love to tell you straight out what is going on. That is a grand tribute to your "unconditional" love - it is impossible to work with a liar. So your child has HOPE.

    My suggestions are to try very hard to have a heart to heart about what he may think God's views are of the situation. Not to condemn - to get him to reason for himself. Kids at 14 are not dumb - they know how to put themselves in someone else's shoes and imagine what it must be like - ask him what he could do to best please God - or even if he wants to please God. Emphasize God does not force anyone to behave in a specific way - he has given each of us freedom - but he does desire our best. He does give us counsel for our protection. I don't know just how to pull this off without making it look like a "shame on you session" - that you don't want at any cost. But there has to be some way to get him thinking about his loving heavenly father and about why God gives us advice not to do things that look like fun - and feel good at the time. Talking about the tree in the Garden of Eden - how it was desirable to look upon and turns out it even tasted good as fruit and she didn't die "on the spot." Get him to tell you how he feels about that story - what he thinks Eve could have done differently - was God really withholding something good from her? Etc. Etc. He will be sharp enough to make the application without the subject even being mentioned. But get him thinking and focusing on God - that is the only thing that will ever change the behavior that I can imagine.

    What would have happened had Eve run back to Adam and said "You know what the snake said to me today? Adam, that tree is so pretty. Come on let's just look at it!" The thought I want to implant in his mind is it might have been a good thing to come and talk with you first about his desire. You wouldn't have killed him for having the desire. You would have explained that is the way we are made. Yes - it is a natural thing built into us. But now let's look at the long range of things - is there any advantage of delaying this activity? Etc. Etc. Get him to tell you how he feels - more than you giving the advice. If you can get him to talk it out - there is something about saying things out loud to another human being that makes us think better. He may come to some important realizations all on his own without you ever having had to "tell him so!" Somehow mom and dad just telling us stuff doesn't reach the heart. You have to get him to think for himself - questions, questions, questions. Isn't there a proverb that talks about pulling water out of a deep well? That's what couseling a child is like.

    Maybe talking to him about your own mistakes and how they have turned out - that is something very real he can relate to - everything isn't all bad ever - but there is always a better way to have done things and how does he think you could have done things better. Be prepared to bite your tongue on this because he'll probably tell you things that you don't want to hear but he will make the application also to himself in so doing.

    And never stop praying for your children no matter what they do! No matter how incorrigible they seem! God doesn't give up on us and He is our example.

  • jeckle
    jeckle

    Is it too late to get him interested in karate or martial arts the gym. Is he interested in college after high school? not taking away from any other comment , but to add to them.like others said and you have said do that but also maybe see if you can spark an interest in other things too. I mean I maybe can"t speak from great experience my dad no lie would have killed me or come pretty close. and my son is 8 so I havent hit that gauntlet yet.

  • troubled mind
    troubled mind

    I think it is important to ask him why he choose to have sex . Was it just hormones or something deeper ? You said he doesn't want to be a JW was this his way of getting out of the cult quick card ? Or does he want out of the JW's because he discovered sex ?

    No matter what 14 is young and there is no reason why you shouldn't encourage him to put on the brakes for a couple of yrs . It is good he can talk to you openly about this ,but you are the parent and it is important for you to set guidelines as to appropriate behavior . It doesn't have to have religious meaning behind your reasoning ....it is just good common sense !

  • truthseekeriam
    truthseekeriam

    Oh man this thread is scaring me!! I have a 16 year old son and a 14 year old daughter. I personally just feel 14, or even 16 is too young for sex and all the consequences that goes along with it.

    I just hope when the time comes I wll be as understanding and open as you are.

    Hopefully with you working together with your ex your son will see the importance of really listening to what your saying and know you both are just looking out for his well being.

    I hope it all works out for you and I'm sure you know, your not alone when it comes to raising teenagers It's not for the weak, that's for sure!!

  • Fadeout
    Fadeout

    I'm amazed at some of the responses here. A lot of people seem to have the attitude "Yeah at 14 they're going to do what they want, all you can do is encourage them to be responsible about it."

    And if they want to shoot heroin or knock over liquor stores they're going to do that and there's nothing you can do about it, just make sure they have clean needles and a sober getaway driver.

    Sorry but I believe that the parent has to be the adult and exercise some AUTHORITY. In our crumbling society the popular idea is that the more permissive you are as a parent, the more of a friend you can be to your child and help their self-esteem, and the more rules you impose on them the more they will only resent you and never realize their full potential.

    Of course that's all bullshit, talk to adults and you will find that once they have their grown-up brains they appreciate past parental discipline and resent past parental permissiveness. And almost universally they regret early sexual activity.

    Why is having sex with a 14-year-old a crime? THERE IS NO SUCH THING as "responsible" sex among 14-year-olds. Unless you believe that contracting an STD and creating a child are acceptable risks that he's assessed intelligently, or that the sexually active 14-year-olds are the ones who ought to make up his social group.

  • prophecor
    prophecor

    Bravo....Fade Out, Bravo!!!!!

  • tec
    tec

    What would you do, fadeout? Serious inquiry.

    For the record though, two fourteen year old's having sex is not illegal. Not recommended, but not a crime either. I even think that fourteen is age of consent in some places too. Drugs are illegal. So is knocking off a liquor store.

    I am one who does regret having sex so young... but mainly because I hurt the boy that I had sex with once I ended our relationship. There were no other consequences than that, but perhaps I am fortunate in this.

    Tammy

  • tec
    tec

    I should add that my boyfriend and I got caught. My mother walked in on us. After many threats of being sent to a girl's home, or my grandmother's, I was grounded for a few weeks, and both he and I promised not to have sex any more, so that my mother would allow us to continue to see one another. We kept that promise, because we did not want to risk being kept apart. (which didn't stop us from doing other things, ming you, but no sex)

    Tammy

  • Fadeout
    Fadeout

    What would I do? Sure, why not as long as I'm here doling out parental advice

    I'm not a parent but I have been a teenager (more recently than many here, I'd wager). I think it comes down to overall philosophy re: parents and children. I am friends with a couple that clearly subscribes to a non-interventionist approach with their four and two-year-olds. My observation is that this method is EASIER FOR THE PARENTS. They do not have to bother settling the children down when they're acting up in public, do not have to take them outside, and simply ignore the disapproving stares of the passersby wondering why the parents don't control their little monsters.

    This, punctuated by idle threats of countdowns to "time out."

    Then, we have the "parent as authority figure" approach in which the children understand that it is not they, but the parents who are the boss. If this concept has not been instilled in the child by the teenage years, then yes, by then it may be too late.

    Teenagers who have sex are also more likely to drink, smoke, and do illegal drugs-- basically, sex is only one symptom of an undisciplined child. Don't misunderstand, by undisciplined I don't mean by the parent, I mean a child who is unable to exercise discipline. This lack of discipline will carry over into other facets of his/her life.

    "I know I shouldn't be having sex... but it makes me feel good." Extend that reasoning to other teenage issues. Extend it to their adult lives.

    So short answer, I would HOPE that my child would be wise enough to not start having sex at such a young age. But if he did I would make clear the need to stop such behavior and the benefits of doing so, and he would have 14 years of discipline and education backing me up on that point.

  • tec
    tec

    Okay. Speaking AS a parent;), and as a girl who had sex young, I would like to address some of the things you said. Not picking on you. I agree with some of what you say, but not all of it. And you didn't actually answer what you would do to stop your child... just a generic, oh I would have established discipline before then, so he/she would listen to me. How?

    Teenagers who have sex are also more likely to drink, smoke, and do illegal drugs-- basically, sex is only one symptom of an undisciplined child.

    Perhaps you could back that statement up with something?

    I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't drink until I was legal at nineteen. Even then, I only went through a couple years of occasional weekend drinking and bars. I tried pot when I was nineteen also, which was nothing compared to the people in my life. I did not like it, or how unmotivated it made me feel. It helped that it also made me sick (good deterrent). The funny thing is that I didn't even know people even did drugs anymore... that is how sheltered and naive I was until I moved out on my own. The only 'wild' thing I ever really did was have sex too young. I moved out on my own at sixteen, stayed in school, still went to bed at my regular bed time, still did all my homework, and my grades actually improved. I was a responsible kid for the most part.

    And I was most definitely NOT undisciplined by my mother. She was strict to the extreme. We moved across the country when I turned 13, and I was given much more freedom in a new city after that, but still strict according to peer standards.

    Just want to make sure you know that things are not so black and white as some are saying. No one is advocating taking the easy way out. But most parents are just trying their best to do right by their children.

    Peace,

    Tammy

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