8 Traits of Teens Who Abstain From Sex

The blog post in the title is on US News and discusses how abstainance provides better outcomes for teens though the same is true of any age group. At the bottom of the post, Dr. Healy lists 8 character traits that would really be of benefit to your pregnant daughter:

1. Future orientation, with a focus on long-term goals. Whether your daugher plans to marry the baby's father, parent alone, or choose a family to raise her child in adoption, help her figure out where she wants her life to be in one year, five years and ten years. What goals can she aim for that would motivate her to postpone current pleasure and to persevere? You might find it helpful to read the chapters "Where will we be in a year?" and "Our hope for the next five years" from our book "How to Survive Your Teen's Pregnancy."
2. Willingness to postpone current pleasures for larger future rewards. As a parent yourself, you know how often your daughter will need to practice this trait when she is mothering a child and must put the needs of the child first. If your daughter is choosing adoption, she is also practicing this trait.
3. Perseverance, as in the ability to stick to a task or commitment. Your pregnant daughter will need perseverance no matter what course she chooses. If she marries the baby's father, she'll need perseverance as she takes on the new roles of wife and mother. If she parents alone, she'll need perseverance to care not only for every need of the child but also to improve her own situation for a positive future. If she is choosing adoption, she'll need perseverance to stick to that committment even when it is emotionally painful.
4. A belief that current behavior can positively affect the future. Your pregnant daughter needs to believe that her current behaviors of healthy eating, appropriate exercise, finishing school, not smoking or doing drugs, etc. can have a clear affect on her future and the future of her child. If she doesn't see the connection between behavior and the outcomes of the future, she is not likely to make positive choices.
5. Impulse control, including ability to control emotions and desires. This is a vital behavior for all men and women who are parenting children. This is a vital behavior in any relationship such as marriage. How can you help your daughter practice thinking and self control before taking action?
6. Resistance to peer influence. I would add the adjective "negative" here...some peer influence can be positive and help your daughter make good choices, but she needs to learn how to resist negative influence that leads her down the wrong path.
7. Respect for parental and social values. I would modify this one too. Some social values these days just aren't healthy. Society seems to value only those who are very slim, beautiful, and sexy. These kinds of values do not help her have a positive sense of self-worth and personal dignity. Society's values often conflict with the family and religious values that have will a more positive effect on her life.
8. Sense of self-worth and personal dignity. The best source of an accurate sense of self-worth and dignity (neither too poor nor too over-inflated) comes from understanding how God views us as His creations.

If your children have demonstrated some of these characteristics in the past, point out these times to your kids and tell them you are proud of them. Praise your children when they demonstrate these characteristics now, and talk to them about what they could have done differently when they fail.