Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

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The Dangers of Children Playing with Romance
Volume 88, Program 26
3/23/2009

Kids in love—it’s easy to see it as a simple, picture-perfect state. But there’s another angle we need to notice. Divorce, unwed mothers, abortion—all involve a form of romance gone awry. As Mike Farris shares today on Home School Heartbeat, many of these problems started back in childhood and early adolescence.

Mike Farris:
A federal trial centered around the circumstances that caused a 13-year-old girl to commit suicide after the break-up of a romantic relationship on MySpace. The national response focused on cyber-bullying and harassment—and of course, that needs some attention. But apparently, nobody worries about the potentially dire consequences of 13-year-olds engaging in romantic relationships.

Recent studies have found that teenage pregnancy rates continue to rise in this country. Notably, the highest rates are in traditionally conservative, so-called red states, including the Bible belt. Secular commentators have had a field day discussing the fact that evangelical teens have sex at a younger age and with more partners than non-evangelicals. Researchers focus on sex, but nobody talks about the danger of children playing with romance.

Pro-family conservatives have long preached that young people should practice physical abstinence before marriage. Liberals have labeled such advice as unrealistic. It is unrealistic to expect a teenager who’s been pursuing a romantic relationship since age 12 or so to have only a limited physical relationship for many, many years.

Children in their early teens are simply too young to handle both the physical and the emotional side of a romantic relationship.

I’m Mike Farris.

What a Daughter Needs from Her Dad
by
Michael P. Farris

What role does Dad play in his daughter's life? Michael Farris suggests day-to-day strategies to build character and spiritual strength in your daughter—from infancy to adulthood. His solid, practical advice covers choosing friends, setting spiritual goals, preparing for career choices, and courtship and marriage. Father of six daughters (and four sons!), Farris shares how you can help your daughter realize her God-given potential.

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