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Hispanic Parents Have Most Influence In Teens
Parents of Hispanic teens in the United States have the most influence on their kids' decisions about sex, according to a new national survey. - The birth rate among teens overall in the United States is rising after 14 years of decline. Among racial and ethnic groups, the rate of teen pregnancy and births is highest among Hispanic teens, with 53 percent of Hispanic females becoming pregnant when they're teens, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the National Council of La Raza, which co-sponsored the survey.
About three-quarters of the teens said their parents had talked to them about sex and relationships, but only 49 percent said their parents had talked to them about contraception. The most common reason why the teens said they did not use contraception was fear that their parents might find out about it.
The survey also found that:
- 74 percent of Hispanic teens think that parents send different messages about sex to their sons than they do to their daughters.
- 72 percent of sexually experienced teens said they wished they had waited longer to become sexually active.
- 34 percent of the teens said that becoming a teen parent would prevent them from reaching their goals, while 47 percent believe being a teen parent would simply delay them from achieving their goals.
- 76 percent of Hispanic teens said that it's important for a couple to be married before having a child.
Source: SOURCE: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, news release, May 19, 2009
Many Schools Believe Latino Parents Are Not Helping Their Children Academically
National statistics (NCES, 2003) indicate that Latino parents are less likely than white parents to attend general meetings, school events, participate in school committees, or volunteer. In the United States, these activities are recognized as common forms of parental involvement (Campos, 2008; Kupermic, Darnell, & Alvarez-Jimenez, 2008). Therefore, there is a widespread belief among school administrators and teachers that Latino parents are not involved in their children's academic activities and do not care about their children's academic success (Campos, 2008).
Contrary to this depiction, recent work with Latino families has shown that Latino parents do care about and believe in the importance of formal education. Latino parents are involved in their children's academics, but their involvement typically goes unrecognized by school personnel because of its less typical nature (Campos, 2008).
Latino Parents Support Education in Non-Traditional Ways
In general, Latino parents promote their children's academics by:
- Placing a high value on education.
- Motivating their children to do well academically.
- Monitoring or "keeping an eye" on them.
- Providing emotional support for academic endeavors (Ceballo, 2004; Romo & Falbo, 1996).
- Encouraging and motivating their children via narratives of the hardships that the family has experienced (Lopez, 2001; Villanueva, 1996).
- Emphasizing the importance of education as a way out of manual labor.
- Excusing them from doing chores, keeping other siblings quiet while doing homework, or expressing pride for their academic success (Ceballo, 2004).
Source: Education.com
What Are Los Kitos Up To?
National Middle School Association Conference Will Have A Los Kitos Track
The National Middle School Association (NMSA) will be holding their Annual Conference in Indianapolis Indiana in November 2009 and Los Kitos will be part of their curriculum for the first time ever.
Martha Montoya will be presenting a workshop to Two-Way Communication By Cartooning and Animation on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. This innovative and light workshop will provide principals, teachers and administrators with a non-traditional tool to engage parents in the development of their children based on “The 7 Steps to Raise Successful Children.”
Using cartooning, story-telling and animation, parents can be part of the development of middle school children that will be more apt to continue onto higher education through their (parents) support, communication and involvement.
For more details on the conference please visit www.nmsa.org
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