DEAR ABBY: When my daughter was young, I told her that sex was something you shared only when you had strong, special feelings for someone. I encouraged her to tell me when she reached the point she might want to become sexually active so that I could take her to the doctor for birth control.
At 16, she told me she was ready to see the doctor and get the pill. I felt she was still too young, but I honored her request and took her to see our doctor.
On the way home, a little angel on my shoulder prompted me to say, "Remember, honey, just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. The choice is still yours, and you still have the right to say no."
She gave a big sigh of relief. I later learned that she postponed having sex until she was 19. -- LOS ANGELES MOM
DEAR MOM: How wise you were.
At the age of 16, many teens begin to assert their independence, and they sometimes do so by doing exactly what the parents discourage. Reminding your daughter that the choice was still hers and trusting her to make the right decision was a clever way to handle this tricky situation.