Jan 28 2009
Purity rings/virginity pledge
The Agreement
Recently, I heard a pretty heated discussion about young teens doing a pledge with their parents, to agree to stay a virgin until marriage, and to signify the agreement, the teen recieves a ring, which they wear until given a wedding ring.
As I listened to the discussion on this, I came to realize that there are alot of views on this subject. Some think it is a great idea, others think it sets your teen up for failure, some mentioned parents being hypocrites, and then there were those that said it was more important to educate our teens on sexual activity, rather than try to prevent them from having it, like it was a better idea to educate, rather than in a sense isolate our teens.
I personally think that all of the above ideas are important. I think with the rise of teen sex, it would be a good idea to talk openly to our teens about sex, and relationships, and to make sure they understand all aspects of the outcomes, and consequences of having sexual relations. I also think the purity ring idea is wonderful! I think that around the age of 12 or 13, I would want to do this with my teens, boys and girls. I would leave the choice up to them, and if they agreed I think it’s a great way to stay involved in our teens lives, and help them make the best choices possible.
I don’t think the idea of a purity ring pledge should ever be forced. I also think that parents need to remember to let their teens know that they can be open and honest about their personal choices. For example if the purity ring agreement was in place, and at some point your teen decided to engage in a sexual activity, they need to feel comfortable coming to us, to get proper protection and preventatives. I’m not saying that us parents are supposed to be happy about this, but we need to remember that those teens, who couldn’t talk to their parents and had to be sneaky about sex, are the ones who end up pregnant, or with std’s. We need to be supportive, open, and understanding as parents.
I personally believe, that if we talk to out teens and show interest, that they will be accepting of the purity ring idea. I also think that educated teens are more prone to wait longer to have sex than under educated teens. In our current times, I think we need to act sooner and at a younger age due to the influence, and pressures of society, television, music, and peers.
So what do you choose? Purity ring pledge? Educate? Openess? Start thinking about these options concerning your children, because as we well know, they grow up so fast!
