When I was a teenager, I was absolutely clueless about various aspects of dating. On the one hand, TV made it all seem very simple. You and your love interest hung out at a popular local haunt, or did school work together at one another’s houses, where, depending on the show, you would or would not make out.
On the other hand, the real world was fraught with very real and disturbing challenges when it came to this very complex issue.
Teen pregnancy, drinking and STD epidemics had parents deeply concerned and troubled. Some thought that greater legal and parental restrictions was the answer, while the opposite factions barely wanted to impose any restrictions at all, believing we should simply tell our youths to “always use a condom”, and “just say no to drugs.”
It was all very confusing for me, a young idealist who was somewhat conservative in my beliefs at the time. I found it difficult to navigate the walk between what I should or should not do, and how I should or should not feel. It had to be one of the most perplexing periods in my life.
Even so, I knew harsh restrictions would not deter hormonally charged teens from trying to get together, I also knew that not providing guidance was also a trap in and of itself
I think a healthy balance of trust in our young adults coupled with careful, loving guidance and supervision is what was needed back then, and is what is needed now.
Unfortunately, today’s teenager is having to take their cues from the sex obsessed media and/or their peers as harried parents attempt to continue on in a economy that is not conducive to keeping their offspring well fed and clothed.
This is where I hope my blog can come in. I want to provide practical advice, tips and pointers on how to find fun places and establishments that are geared towards a teen aged crowd, as well as on how to dress youthful and fresh, with an eye towards clothing options outside the realm of music videos and movies. I also want to speak openly and frankly about the concerns that today’s young people may have in regards to the pressures they face in school and the world at large, primarily as it pertains to dating and teen romance.
I have to say though, that I am greatly impressed with many of the teens I have run across, as they seem far more savvy, politically aware and goal oriented than the teens I knew when I growing up.
I happily invite readers to drop a line with their own experiences, suggestions or questions, which I will try to address in my blog as much as possible. I don’t want to talk at teens, I want to have a two-way discussion, which will perhaps provide the guidance I sorely needed, and desired, when I was at the same crossroads in time.
