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Resources for Parents

Kids get their information from a thousand different sources - but if they're not getting it from YOU, then how can you expect them to make choices that you would be proud of? As a parent, you have a critical impact on your child and how they navigate the difficult and complicated waters of being a teen - but for them to know your thoughts on sex and pregnancy, you have to talk to them. So unplug your ears, uncover your eyes, and get some ideas on how to start the conversation in our "Talk" section.

Video Resources

 
So many parents wish their teens would just speak up and say what they need to hear. It may not happen right away in your home, but we got some real teens to tell us what they want to hear from their parents. Watch members of The National Campaign's Youth Leadership Team read from:
 
Talking Back: What Teens Want Adults to Know About Teen Pregnancy (2m 29s)
Ever wondered what your teen is wishing you'd say to them? Or if they actually want to have The Talk but wouldn't dream of asking you? Get inside the minds of teens with Talking Back, a booklet featuring interviews and advice from real teens, gathered by The National Campaign.
 
Thinking About the Right Now (1m 23s)
When it comes to teen pregnancy — why it happens and how to prevent it — teens get loads of advice from adults, but they aren't often asked to offer their own. The advice in this pamphlet — for teens, from teens — is based on suggestions offered by teen visitors to our website and members of The National Campaign YLT.
 

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Audio Resources

 

Some selected radio appearances by National Campaign staff.

  • WHRO, NPR Norfolk, VA
    July 10, 2008
    How much should parents reveal to their children about their pasts?  That dilemma was the basis of an article by Washington Post reporter Liza Mundy that sparked conversation at exercise classes and dinner parties across the country.  While experts agree its important to talk to your children early and often, there is not a consensus on what parents should disclose.  Sarah Brown joins host Cathy Lewis of HearSay, to discuss just how much parents should tell their kids. Listen here (60m).

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Print Resources

 

Some selected print resources for parents; visit our Resources section for a more detailed list.

  • Consejos a los padres: Esto folleto ofrece siete consejos a los padres latinos para ayudarles hablar con sus hijos sobre prevenir el embarazo el la adolescencia. Los consejos fueron desarrollados por La Campaña Nacional con la ayuda de padres latinos a través de los EE.UU.
  • Families Matter: A Research Synthesis of Family Influences on Adolescent Pregnancy synthesizes research on the relationship between adult/parent actions and sexual risk-taking among teenagers and is accompanied by some new data on what parents actually do with their kids in the area of communication about sexuality and related issues. Looking for a hard copy? Visit our Online Store.
  • iPlan: Tips from Teens for Teens about Life, Love, and Not Getting Pregnant
    When it comes to sex, teens get tons of advice from adults, but they aren’t often asked to offer their own. Crazy right? So we asked teens from all over the country what they thought about relationships, sex, and pregnancy. Here are the 13 answers and opinions that we heard most often. Looking for a hard copy? Visit our Online Store.

    This product replaces the English version of Thinking About the Right-Now: What Teens Want Other Teens to Know About Preventing Pregnancy (the Spanish version is available here in the original format.

  • Kiss and Tell: What Teens Say About Love, Trust, and Other Relationship Stuff is a snapshot of what teens are thinking about love and relationships. Taken from a compilation of findings taken from a national survey of young people, key themes and quotes that emerged from a survey conducted on The National Campaign website, and from focus group research conducted in 2007 throughout the United States, this brochure provides insights into the minds of teens and their feelings on sex, love, and relationships. Looking for a hard copy? Visit our Online Store.
  • Parents Matter: Tips for Raising Teens
    A joint project of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the National Campaign Against Youth Violence, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Parents Matter makes clear that whether you're concerned about drinking, drugs, violence, trouble in school, smoking, or sex (or all of the above), the best advice for parents is the same: stay closely connect to your teenage sons and daughters.
    Order a print copy
  • Parent Power: What Parents Need to Know and Do to Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy:
    Whether they believe it or not, parents have a very important influence on whether their teenagers become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. Parent Power offers good news for parents and those who work with, care for, and write about, young people. It compiles much of what is known about parental influences and offers parents practical things they can do to help their children delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy. The simple and compelling message of Parent Power is that families matter. A lot. (Available in Spanish as El poder de los padres: Lo que los padres deben saber y hacer para ayudar a prevenir el embarazo en los adolescents.) Order a print copy
  • Ten Tips for Parents: Presented here are ten common sense lessons - many of which will seem familiar because they articulate what parents already know from experience. All ten are designed to help parents and adults reduce the risk of kids becoming pregnant during their teen years by delaying becoming sexually active, as well as encouraging the careful and correct use of contraception. Looking for a hard copy? Visit our Online Store.
  • What's Your Relationship Reality?: Using facts, tips, and the opinions of real teens, this web portal offers advice to young people about developing healthy relationships and understanding that having sex doesn't necessarily mean being in a relationship (you will be redirected to StayTeen.org).
  • With One Voice 2007: Each year The National Campaign commissions a nationwide independent survey of adults and teens. Many of these questions focus on parents and adults and their role in preventing unplanned pregnancy. Collected here is a sampling of polling results that parents may find of interest. Looking for a hard copy? Visit our Online Store.

Check out our Resources section where you'll find a full list of publications dedicated to parents.

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Web Portals

 

Some additional sections of The National Campaign's web site that are helpful for parents.

  • Community Colleges: information on 20-somethings and students attending community colleges as well as these students' thoughts and opinions on unplanned pregnancy.
  • Entertainment Media: what your kids are watching right now and helpful tips on using those television shows and movies as conversation starters.
  • Foster Care Initiative: The National Campaign's web presence dedicated to improving teen pregnancy rates among foster children.
  • Latino Initiative: The National Campaign's Latino-focused web presence, with information in English and Spanish.
  • Resources: a full list of National Campaign publications and fact sheets, sorted by topic.
  • StayTeen.org: The National Campaign's teens-only website, with info, tips, and fun activities for teens.
 
 

And don't forget to search the rest of the Parents Portal, which is full of new tips and ideas for talking to your kids, as well as important information to help you get the facts right when you do start the conversation.

 

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