HOUSTON - Summer is a time for cookouts and grilling, but summer break is also said to be the perfect recipe for teen pregnancy.
Methodist Hospital PsychoTherapist Mary Jo Rapini says kids tend to have less structure and supervision in the summertime and more time on their hands. She also says girls who feel alone this summer, isolated or who don't feel close to their parents are more likely to get pregnant.
Rapini says a simple way to keep your child from becoming a parent before they are ready is to get and stay involved in their lives. She says parents who share their lives with their children and who show interest in their kids lives are less likely to have a teen who becomes a parent.
Rapini encourages parents to have open dialogue about sex and the consequences that come with it.
Texas has the fifth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Rapini has many more tips on her website www.maryjorapini.com . Including 70 things you can do instead of having sex in a committed relationship.
Rapini is the co-author of "Start Talking: A Girl's Guide For You & Your Mom About Sex, Health or Whatever."
Rapini encourages parents to use things like books, articles or TV reports to launch conversations with their kids on a daily basis.
Source
Methodist Hospital PsychoTherapist Mary Jo Rapini says kids tend to have less structure and supervision in the summertime and more time on their hands. She also says girls who feel alone this summer, isolated or who don't feel close to their parents are more likely to get pregnant.
Rapini says a simple way to keep your child from becoming a parent before they are ready is to get and stay involved in their lives. She says parents who share their lives with their children and who show interest in their kids lives are less likely to have a teen who becomes a parent.
Rapini encourages parents to have open dialogue about sex and the consequences that come with it.
Texas has the fifth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Rapini has many more tips on her website www.maryjorapini.com . Including 70 things you can do instead of having sex in a committed relationship.
Rapini is the co-author of "Start Talking: A Girl's Guide For You & Your Mom About Sex, Health or Whatever."
Rapini encourages parents to use things like books, articles or TV reports to launch conversations with their kids on a daily basis.
Source
