the problem of raising teenage pregnancy rates can be traced to a few root causes:
-lazy parents, too many parents are parents by accident rather than on purpose. too many parents choose to leave the raising of their children to daycares and schools rather than take that job upon themselves. too many parents are too busy with their "lives" to focus on their children or even see them more often then every once in a while.
-lax discipline, too many parents forego this area in the interest of being politically correct or their childs best friend. my mothers father was navy, her brother a marine and the discipline learned there was expect of us. we were raised with a clear understanding of the rules and the consequences of breaking them. when we were caught doing wrong we owned up to it and were punished (actually punished, not kinda sorta punished).
-rights and priveledges, too many parents are trying to negotiate with their children rather than raise them. it was made perfectly clear to us that our childhood was not a democracy and we did not get a vote or a say in how things worked. childhood was a benevolent dictatorship and our parents had the right to invade our perceived privacy anytime our safety or best interests required it. this invasion led to my brother being completely pissed at all of us for "spying" on him. it also led to the intervention that ultimately led him to the army where he straightend out his life. without this, he would have landed his butt in state or federal prison right along with his crew.
-doing whats right, too many parents see this as subjective or even optional whenever it is inconvienent. were we expected to do what was right no matter what irregardless of whether or not it was what we wanted or felt like doing. period. end of discussion. any less was simply not accepted.
-getting involved, too many parents believe in letting their children live their own lives and assisting when necessary. my parents were always involved. they demanded to know the when where what why how and who of every situation. especially when i didn't want them to know.
-morals and values, too many parents are lacking in this area themselves and are completely incapable of teaching their children. we were taught the difference between boys and men and gentlemen. we were also taught the difference between girls and women and ladies. these terms are NOT interchangable. they are all different words for a reason and unfortunately people are not being taught this. furthermore, boys and girls are not being taught to respect themselves or others.
this does not mean i did not get into trouble or pull the wool over their eyes every once in a while, but they did everything in their power to prevent it.
