SOURCE:Mary Kay
DESCRIPTION:
I’ve discovered in the last few months there are three things that terrify me as a mother of a 16 year old daughter: driving, dating and drugs. I’m not sure if terrify is even a strong enough word for the angst I feel about the “3Ds” as I call them. I think I’m like most parents who want to instill in our kids the roots and morals to become responsible adults while keeping their dreams alive and giving them the confidence and wings to soar.
Each day I pray my daughter will have the foundation, maturity and intelligence to make wise decisions, especially in today’s world when they’re exposed to so much at an early age. So that’s why I try to listen to her about everything and talk to her about everything.
I know it can be tough at times to get our kids to put down the cell phones and just talk, so sometimes we have to listen first. If you can overcome the excessive usage of the word “like,” just listen when you are driving your children to cheerleading, soccer, lacrosse, football, music lessons, basketball, gymnastics and their 7.5 trillion other activities. When I’m driving my daughter and her friends around, I just listen. I’m pretty proud to know that my daughter and her friends already have an expectation of not only of how they will be treated, but also of how they will treat others. Respecting each other and understanding boundaries are important for all teenagers – especially girls.
When I think about the fact that females between the ages of 16 and 24 are roughly three times more likely than the rest of the population to be abused by an intimate partner, and that violent behavior often begins between 6th and 12th grade; it is all the more critical to have conversations with our children about these issues.
Because of this, I was so proud to support Mary Kay’s partnership with Love Is Respect for “It’s Time to Talk Day.” It’s Time To Talk Day was an annual awareness day that encouraged conversations about healthy dating relationships with parents and adults. The event was held in New York earlier this month. The idea is to start the conversation with our children about healthy relationships. Loveisrepect developed tons of tools and resources that can be used to help with the conversation. Even if you haven’t talked to your child about healthy relationships, don’t worry. You still have time to talk…and listen.
Enjoy these photos from the event, and tell me your tips for talking to your children about critical issues.
Today’s blog post is from Jill Wedding, Mary Kay’s Director of Consultant Marketing. Jill has worked at Mary Kay since 1989 in a variety of roles. Her greatest role to date is that of Mom.
Tweet me:Beauty That Counts: It's Time To Talk http://3bl.me/3p3dfb from @MaryKay @loveisrespect
KEYWORDS: Mary Kay, Pink Changing Lives, jordyn wieber, csr, dating, Loveisrespect, New York, Corporate Social Responsibility, teen dating, Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, Morris Chestnut, girls, boys, social responsibility, healthly relationships, teenagers
