Post 1, To Daryl West
I agree with you that teenagers are extremely vulnerable when they are learning about adulthood and sexuality. During the hormonal changes and mood swings of the child, a parent will have to step in and help but being careful to step out when need be. Since the child at puberty stage, is undergoing both psychological and physical changes as you have stated, a parent has to be exceedingly careful with what he allows his child into but also be carefully not to be too strict on him and over protective. Like on the issues of masturbation, I think it is necessary to talk to the child and warn them on the dangers of masturbation before the parent can step out and allow the teenager to handle it on his own (Greenberg et al 2011, p 401). I think a parent should only allow his child to make the wrong decision and learn the hard way before he or she can step in. When the parent has played his advisory and discipline part but the child is seemingly insisting on doing the wrong things, it calls for stringent measures than those initially applied.
Post 2, To Loretta Sonnabend
I agree with you that a child should be raised up being morally upright in robust health and confidence. However, it is though and particularly challenging because of the external influencing factors. Some of these factors as you have already mentioned are the Internet and television, which have sexual related material, which may influence the child to be immoral (Greenberg et al 2011, p 397). In my opinion since I will have control over what my children watch and interact with, I would monitor what programs they watch and wisely discourage them from watching sexual related programs on television. I would also limit their access to the Internet unless it has to do with their academics. Although I know that this is not a total remedy to this magnificent challenges posed by the external factors, I would nevertheless keep trying my best. I would talk to my children on the sexual related matters in order to hear what they think about it. I will also warn them on the dangers of teenage sexual activity and the need to wait until marriage.
References
Greenberg, J. S., Bruess, C. E. & Conklin, S. C. (2011). Exploring the Dimensions of Human
Sexuality (4th ed.). Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
