Dear Grandparenting: Andrea my granddaughter is single and playing the field like there’s no tomorrow. She is what they call promiscuous. I don’t know how many partners she’s had, so let’s just say she gets around and sleeps around.
This took some getting used to. I was always monogamous. My late husband was the one and only. Andrea thinks she has it all figured out. In her mind, the main reason marriages break up is because someone gets bored in bed or has fantasies about what they’re missing.
Andrea would have me believe she’s getting temptation out of her system. She told me it’s her “cheating cure.” I think she’s kidding herself and trying to justify her behavior. Then again, what do I know? Carrying on like that was not really an option for my generation. So I have to ask you this: Do you think there’s a grain of truth in Andrea’s plan? Sharlene Mix, Brockton, Massachussets
Dear Sharlene: Let’s clear up the popular misperception of America’s youth running wild in the throes of sexual abandon.
According to the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey based on federal government data, American teens and young adults are less sexually active than many imagine. Since 1990, there’s been a decrease in youth who’ve ever had sexual intercourse, had sex before age 13 or had sex with four or more partners. And since the onset of the COVID pandemic, those numbers have doubtless fallen further still.
Actual percentages are hard to come by, since so many will lie about their sexual history. That said, a minority of men and women walk on the wild side. The average number varies by state — one survey found that Louisiana residents report the highest number of sexual partners at 15.7, while Utah has the lowest at 2.6.
If your granddaughter is hoping for marital bliss, she’s seemingly off to a poor start. Numerous studies conclude that women with a sexual history of one partner enjoy the highest rate of marital satisfaction, about 65%. Roughly half of those with 21 plus partners report they are happily married. Then again, who really knows? In love’s crazy game, you can’t always go by the book.
Grand remark of the week
Deb Smith from Sidney, Ohio was startled by a “very loud ruckus” in the hallway where her grandsons were playing.
“What’s going on out there? Don’t pick on Teddy,” she hollered.
“Just practicing,” replied grandson Michael.
“For what?” said Deb.
“For when I use my super-powers to become the Incredible Hulk,” said Michael. “Watch me hammer Teddy again.”
