R-e-s-p-e-c-t!

How does one raise a child to protect them from seducers and betrayers and having their little hearts broken? I think this question is almost impossible to answer. I have friends that have had completely different upbringings than I had. My parents taught me about boys (blah blah blah) and making sure that I knew the importance of respecting myself and always being safe. Having trustworthy friends and staying away from possible dangerous situations was emphasized constantly throughout my teen years. One of my best friends had a completely different upbringing. Her mom had her when she was 15, (I would say she was seduced and betrayed for sure!) and she raised her pretty much as a single mom, although she had been married about 3 times. Her mom always had random men coming in and out of her life, which is something my friend, lets call her Jenni, always dealt with. Her mom and my mom definitely have two different views on what love is and how to approach it.

The point of my story is this: Even though we had completely different upbringings, Jenni and I turned out exactly the same. Although Jenni’s mom never actually told her about seduction and betrayal, Jenni learned plenty about that from watching her mom’s actions. I learned the same thing from my parents’ words. Jenni is now a strong, smart woman, just as I consider myself to be.

On the other hand, parents like Charlotte Temple’s could raise their child with love and respect and do nothing ”wrong,” but still see that their child falls for a seducer and winds up in a situation like Charlotte’s.

So, I don’t really know what parents can do to keep their children safe from a broken heart. Shelter them too much, and they’ll definitely rebel. Shelter them not enough, and they could go wild. I think at the end of the day, love is something that can’t really be controlled and most parents realize this because they’ve probably been there. Yes, you can lock up a teen in her room every Friday and Saturday night, but that won’t stop her for falling for that boy sitting behind her in math class, whether he’s a seducer or not. I think that the best thing parents can do to prevent a life of betrayal and abuse for their daughter is to raise her with respect so that she will have it for herself and demand it in a boyfriend.