teenagers

I was constantly on the defense, prepared to fight for my young love against those who thought I wasn’t ready for marriage. It pains me to say it, but in a way, they were right after all. There were things I was missing out on by marrying young, things I didn’t even realize I was missing until it was too late.

There’s been good news on the unintended pregnancy rate lately, what with Guttmacher Institute suggesting that the rise of IUDs is leading to a decline in unintended pregnancies. But the news, it turns out, isn’t all good.

One of the greatest pleasures of my librarian life is being able to introduce teenagers to books that broaden their worldview and strengthen their sense of self. While most of the heavy lifting in this area is done by the books and how the teens respond to their content, it’s an absolute privilege and pleasure to help a young reader find the perfect book.

"However, if you've ever met a teenager, you know that roughly 75% of them will never willingly walk into the school nurse's office and ask about birth control. But, even if they do, they still won't necessarily know which form is best for them, and they certainly won't be given the advice they need to dump that player and move on already. That's where us parents come in. Except, of course, that half of our kids won't talk to us about the ins and outs of sex and relationships."

Dear Momma Bare, 

Help! My water bills have literally doubled since my 15-year-old-son hit puberty.

Teaching sex ed the right way doesn’t have to be weird or hard.

Your kid is gonna do some dumb stuff. Accept it.