5. Discourage early, frequent and steady dating. Being a parent of a teenager, you should better encourage all kinds of group activities. It is also up to you to make it clear that one – on – one dating before the age of 16 can lead to trouble before your child asks you whether he / she can date some certain person. Remember, that letting your child know beforehand will help him / her see that you are not trying to react to some particular person or invitation.
6. Take a strong strand against teens dating significantly older or younger people. You should try to set an age limit of no more than a 2 – year age difference. Remember that power age differences can become the result of some risky situations, such as unwanted and / or unprotected sexual intercourse.
7. Help you teenager have options for the future that are much more attractive, than early pregnancy and parenthood. You are to help your children set real and meaningful goals in their future. To do this you must talk to them about what they are to do to reach their goals and help them do it. You should help them see how becoming a young parent can affect all their best plans in a negative way.
You should also try to teach them to use their spare time in some constructive manner. Remember that different kinds of community service can help them obtain job skills, and it can also put them in tough with a variety of committed and caring adults.
8. Emphasize how much you value education. You should set high expectations on your teen’s school performance. In case if you see that your child fails to progress well in school, it is necessary to intervene as early as possible. Remember, that school failure is one of the key risk factors for teenage parenthood. In order to be calm, you should keep track of your child’s grades and meet with his / her teachers all the way of his / her school years. Volunteer at school life as much as possible. Set limits on your child’s after – school jobs and do not let him / her work more than 20 hours a week, so that there would be enough time left for homework as well as for restful sleep and socializing.
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