Worried my 14-year-old is having sex
DEAR DEIDRE: I am worried that my 14-year-old daughter is about to start having sex.
She has a boyfriend the same age, and tells me she’s madly in love.
I think she’s too young.
As her 50-year-old dad, I’m terrified she is going to get her heart broken or, worse, get pregnant.
I’ve tried talking to her about this, but she says I don’t understand. She claims all her friends have boyfriends.
When I attempt to bring up the topic of sex, the conversation becomes too embarrassing for both of us.
My wife says I’m being overprotective. She says our daughter is sensible and I should remember what it was like to be a teenager. The problem is, I do. I know exactly what teenage boys are like!
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DEIDRE SAYS: It’s natural to want to protect your daughter and make sure she doesn’t come to any harm.
But your wife is right, you need to let her grow up. Stopping her from seeing her boyfriend will only mean she does it secretly.
Show her you’re concerned but supportive. She and her boyfriend are both under the age of consent. You don’t know they’re having sex yet.
Perhaps she could have the “embarrassing chat” with her mum, who can give her my support pack on underage sex and make sure she understands consent and contraception. For guidance, contact familylives.org.uk (0808 800 2222).
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