Parents make a difference? Really?

[MarginOfError]

Family meals reduce risky teen sex | NEWS.com.au

When I was in grad school I did some studies on teen sexual behavior, and I've kind of followed the new studies coming out since then. It amuses me how every step of the way, the best thing we find for delaying sexual activity in teens is positive parental involvement. This new one is fantastic! Teens who report eating a meal with their family more than once a week engage in fewer and less risky sexual activities, and don't start until they're older.

[Misshalfway]

Can't decide if you are supporting this study, Moe, or if you are saying it is ridiculous.

[Jenamarie]

I think he's saying it ought to be obvious that involved parenting discourages kids from making risky choices.

[MarginOfError]

This is one I actually support. If you want more good research on the subject, check out the Gutmacher Institute.

[MorningStar]

In a class I went to, they said what makes the biggest impact on a teenage girl is to have a close relationship with her father.

[Misshalfway]

In a class I went to, they said what makes the biggest impact on a teenage girl is to have a close relationship with her father.

It is in a John Mayer Song too. And since I get my gospel from rock n roll..... J/k! No really -- his song about "Daughters" is right on.

[MarginOfError]

In a class I went to, they said what makes the biggest impact on a teenage girl is to have a close relationship with her father.

That's actually a really good point. Somewhat related to that, I remember discussing a study in one of my college Communication courses about fatherless communities. The study found that children who lived with a single mother turned out just as stable so long as they grew up in communities where the majority of children had fathers in the home. In communities where most fathers weren't in the home, the children grew up with all sorts of drug, behavior, and crime related issues.

[utcowboy]

Thats because mom always says "Wait until your father gets home!!!" or "Wait until your father hears about this!!!" and most kids are scared to death cause daddy always has to hand out the punishments!! LOL.. j/k I don't want any of those single parents getting mad at me, but thats the way it was in my home growing up.

It is really interesting though, that if we just spend a little time and get just a little involved in our children's lives, that it make them seem to stop and think a little bit more before they do something that might affect the rest of their lives.

[Bookmeister]

Seems to me like this in another one of those "well, Duh!" kinds of studies. :)

[Iggy]

Thats because mom always says "Wait until your father gets home!!!" or "Wait until your father hears about this!!!" and most kids are scared to death cause daddy always has to hand out the punishments!! LOL.. j/k

That never happened in my home, because Daddy was home. He left for work shortly after we all went to bed and was home when we woke up.

We were punished often too- not by the rod, or whip or hand either. I remember I pushed in the button on the front door causing it to lock. To open it we had to have a special key. No one had the key. I had to help my Dad take the door off the hinges, remove the door knob and replace it. I had to pay for the new locking door knob and the extra keys so Mom, Grandma and Dad all had keys. Before we were halfway through the job I was crying and begging Dad to just spank me. I wanted my punishment done and over with. By the way I was 9 years old and it was 1961. That front door was thick and heavy and was half window! I finally paid off that debt to Daddy when I was in High School and had a part time job. Getting $0.10 a week allowance as a child makes for a long time paying. By the time I was in Jr High I was getting $0.50 a week.