What will you teach your children regarding WTM or not?

[als77 11]

I'm just wondering if you guys will try to encourage your children to WTM or not.

The reason to why I ask is that there are so few of us, especially in Norway: In Norway the mean age for sexual debut for girls is 16,7 years (survey from 2003), down almost 1 year from the survey 10 years earlier...

[Dasboy1 706]

I would encourage it and try and tell them how important and sacred sex is. I wouldn't be one of those parents that says sex is dirty but it's for married people.

[Sophie 1,280]

I would not teach them WTM, but I would highly encourage them to wait until they are in a very stable, loving, long-term relationship before having sex and I would definitely put my foot down on sex before age 18 (with my daughters, because I do not want them getting pregnant in high school.) I would never discourage WTM, I just wouldn't put any emphasis on it. I'd explain to them that sex is a very wonderful thing, and it is something that should only be done with someone you love very much and with someone who loves you very much. I'd teach them about how much it can hurt when you give yourself to someone who later starts treating you badly. I'd also tell my daughters that accidental pregnancy is not something to be ashamed of, but many guys might be scared off by it but not a man who is in love with her. Something like that.

16.7 is around when girls in America lose their virginity. In Canada it is 17.4, I believe. Personally, anything under 18 makes me cringe. Anything under 16 just makes me feel sick.

[AlexeiZ 254]

I would encourage it and try and tell them how important and sacred sex is. I wouldn't be one of those parents that says sex is dirty but it's for married people.

I would do just the same

[AlexeiZ 254]

To elaborate, if I had a daughter id tell her to be careful around what guys she would try to date, to make sure she's safe and isnt going to date someone who would pressure her into pre-marital sex. I'd show her how to have self-respect and why WTM is so great. If I had a son, I'd tell him much the same; to disregard peer pressure and to love and respect girls around him

[Canada10024 722]

WTM is about two things: Choice and Faith. While if I one day have children I would want them to understand the power of both choice and faith, it would ultimately be up to them.

By giving them the information, and not just biased information, but the whole picture. Yes you gain a lot of from WTM but you can also have a harder journey. However, when the times comes, the result is something you can't fathom. I would want my children to have the power of choice. Though my parents did not live through me, I want them to have their own life. They need to make choice, take chances, and learn both personal accomplishment as well as failure. Both ends of the spectrum build character, offer a unique perspective, and most often give you the knowledge to make better choices next time around.

Faith is the belief in tomorrow. And whether religious or balanced, the ability to put trust in tomorrow.

I would offer my perspective and how it shaped who I am, but they would have to be the ones that made the choice of which door to walk through.

[wny 929]

I would advocate waiting until marriage. Also, if they're still living in my house I won't allow them to have sex while they are living with me. Sex is an adult activity and they should be on their own if they feel they are adult enough for sex. The only exception would maybe be if they're older and living with me during post-graduate studies. They couldn't have it in my home, but if it was going on outside my home I could maybe deal with a "don't ask, don't tell" policy. If I ever found out there would be a problem, but I guess otherwise I would try not to think about it. This might apply to them as undergraduates, as well, but I'm not sure. I know 18 is legally an adult, but I still feel it's pretty young for me to turn a blind eye to their lifestyle if I'm still supporting them.

[Kailey 1,072]

I will definitely teach them to WTM, basing it in our faith and making sure they know that it is something very special meant for marriage.

[Alex 98]

I would definitely encourage them to WTM. I don't think I would tell them they have to, but I would give them the option. I'm not going to put any restrictions on them as to when they have sex, but I won't let them date until high school. Honestly in the end it is their body and they are going to have to live with the consequences. I will teach them the values behind waiting and try to instill in them what the true meaning of sex should be. From there they decide.

This kind of makes me think back to how my parents approached sex with me and my sister. For me it was always when your ready come to us and we'll make sure you're prepared for it. We'll get you on birth control and we'll get you condoms to make sure you are safe. With my sister it was always you will not have sex until you are older. You will not have sex until your at least 18 and on your own. She lost her virginity at 17, I'm waiting. I didn't want to have sex because my parents expected me to lose my virginity in high school. My sister had sex because my parents expected her to wait.