Check out this strong, balanced article on the idea of “letting” allowing teens to have sex in the home. I love this closing idea.
“Open channels of communication (whether we’re talking about sex, drugs or bullying) are among the best indicators of a successful transition into adulthood. “It’s important to remember that by talking to our kids about sex, we are not encouraging them to do it,” said Schafer. “It’s like when there was the big debate about giving teens access to birth control. There were parents arguing that that would lead to a rise in sexual activity, which of course, didn’t happen.””
I also really appreciate the idea that we infantilize teenagers in our society. While I want to my daughters to stay awesome little kids forever, I know that they are going to be awesome teens and eventually awesome adults. To maintain that awesomeness, they need to progress and grow at a realistic pace. And given what we know about teens, regardless of puritanical attempts, they are going to explore sexuality.
