LIFE IS ABOUT communication

This blog post is for all the teenage girls that are currently in a dating relationship or considering entering one in the future. This might be a good one for parents too.

It is no secret or surprise (to most people) that teenagers are engaging in risky behavior. They are getting younger and younger while experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sexual activity. It has almost become a social normality and socially acceptable for teens to openly engage in these risky behaviors. Talking to your child at an early age about peer pressure and sex are very important. If you aren't talking, trust me, they will learn about it from other places...like Jersey Shore (the show, not the place) or The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Parents today are way behind the curve. Studies show that more than 40% of parents aren't talking to their kids about sex. While I believe it is very critical to talk about sex, I feel it is just as important to talk about love. What love means. What it feels like and the difference between sex and love.

A teenager that has been educated by their parents about love and sex is more likely to postpone sexual activity. My sister in law McKenzie is 15 years old and a Sophomore in HIgh School. The first time I met McKenzie she was 3 years old. She was sprawled out on the living room floor playing with her fabulous Barbie collection. Who was right there with her playing? Was it a friend? Her mom? Older brother? No, it was her dad. McKenzie's dad would gladly role play as Ken (or Malibu Barbie) and go on adventures in the Barbie Jeep. Somedays it was Barbies. Other days it was tea parties with glorious hats and easy baked oven brownies, but through these interactions with her parents McKenzie learned what it was like to be treated well, with respect, and with LOVE.

Now I'm sure you can see how GORGEOUS McKenzie is based off these photos, and those of us that really know her knew it was only a matter of time before the boys would come knocking, calling, texting...you get the picture. As a matter of fact McKenzie has recently started dating someone. These two kids are having great fun together. What I love about these kids is how they committed to be respectful to each other.

Before these two love birds became a couple this is what happened (drum roll please)...They set boundaries! WOW! Teenagers, setting boundaries?? And actually respecting those boundaries and keeping them sacred?? What? Unheard of, right? WRONG! News flash! Not all teenagers have sex. Not all teenagers avoid having those "embarrassing" or "uncomfortable" conversations such as, "This is how far I am willing to go. Live with it or get the Hell away from me." Does it still take a lot of courage to have those conversations? Absolutely! But, who do you think is more likely to have that open conversation? A teenager that has been taught how to respect themselves through supportive mature relationships or a teenager that learned about sex and love from the Jersey Shore?

I am not an expert on this topic. These are just simply my opinions based off of observations I've made. And I definitely don't believe that teenagers that do choose to have sex at an early age are bad. I would never judge, so please don't send me any hate mail. I guess I was called to write this because I am so proud of McKenzie for the choices she has made regarding her recent relationship. Will I be angry if she chooses to set different boundaries later on? No (I'll just leave it at that).

I'd be interested to hear any feedback or thoughts from any of you out there. Thanks for reading and I hope I can spark some healthy conversations!!