After the Fact by Lisa Beamer Y ou've had the talks. You're sure he knows your views on premarital sex based on your faith, and you've even tried to relay the possible emotional fallout of having casual sex. After all this, you suddenly find out that your teen is sexually active. It is normal for sexual curiosity to emerge in the teen years, but teens are starting to explore sexual activity earlier than they used to.
Parents report finding out about sexual activity in the early middle school years.
While you might be tempted to run screaming in the opposite direction, or perhaps run screaming toward your teen, forbidding her to leave the house until she is 32, there are better ways to handle the situation. Your initial plan for your teen might have been abstinence, but now that they've crossed that line, it is time to regroup. While you can still encourage your son or daughter to abstain from sexual activity, your goals might now expand to avoiding pregnancy, disease or emotional issues. Teens want parental guidance, but they want parents to be realistic as well. It is a difficult line for parents to walk.