Your teenager is definitely up for a challenge as one begins to feel the tension of one’s sexual drive fighting against one’s knowledge of the “right” thing to do. Having to deal with a heap of raging hormones is a lot to handle. As much as you may want to pressure your teen by reprimanding him every moment you catch him staring at the opposite sex in a funny way, don’t.
Try and remember how it felt to be in his shoes. Recall the changes you felt in yourself and in how you reacted to those of the opposite sex when you were at his stage of sexual development. If you can remember clearly, you should know it’s a difficult stage to handle. You may even admit to actually struggling with the idea of engaging in pre-marital sex yourself.
As much as a concerned parent may lecture his child about the consequences of engaging in pre-marital sex, a teen may still take the other route. The information you can give him about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and the like, can all appeal to his mind, yet he still has his body to deal with. And just catching a glimpse of the gorgeous girl he’s been crushing on in 5th period can give a sudden appeal to his body.
Here’s where things can get confusing.
Caught between Body and Mind
On one hand, your teen knows what may possibly happen if he gives in to his body and becomes sexually active, yet on the other hand the temptation of the moment has a loud call on every one of his senses. Theoretically and logically, your lectures on sexual issues may all make perfect sense to your teen, yet the strong power of sensory appeal lies in the fact that it is directly understood by the body itself. A teenager experiencing sexual feelings for the first time may become so swept up in the moment that the “right” thing to do in his head, merely stays there.
A teenager can become caught between the tug of his conscience and call of his body. And it is so easy to give in to one’s feelings. Even concerning matters other than sexual relations, feelings can greatly influence one’s decision-making. Top all of this off with heightened arousal and your teenager’s persistence to stand ground could be as good as gone.
Acknowledging the difficulty of dealing with the mind and body conflict which the onset of sexual drive can create in your teenager is a good move to make. If your teen knows that you have some idea of the tension that may be stirring within him concerning his sexuality, he may be left with less stress to make wise and responsible decisions.
