Now that your teenager is now a parent themselves it is going to change a lot of things for the whole family. Your adolescent parent will need support and encouragement. This is not going to be easy for anyone but you should try to be as supportive as possible. The first thing that needs to be decided when your adolescent becomes pregnant or impregnates someone is whether they are going to keep the baby, give it up for adoption, or abortion. I myself do not like the last option but it is an option for anyone who gets pregnant.
If your adolescent keeps the baby then they will need encouragement to stay in school and they will probably need help learning parenting skills. Another issue they will need support for is stress management. Their lives are going to be extremely stressful but if their parents stay involved hopefully things will work out for the better. My advice to you if your son is a father is to encourage them to stay involved. A baby needs a mother and a father in their lives both emotionally and financially. Your adolescent will need a mentor, someone they can go to for emotional support and guidance. That mentor should be someone who can also be their friend because most teenage parents do not have a lot of friends that can relate to their situation. There are schools that offer child care while the student is in class. I think this would be very benificial because schools that provide this service reduce the incidence of low-birth-weight babies, increase educational success, and prevent additional childbearing.
Which brings me to my next topic, a second pregnancy. Make sure you are talking with your teen about contraceptives and what they can do to prevent another pregnancy. Most teens with children, end up of a second pregnancy within a few years. Hopefully with my advice you can have a nice relationship with your adolescent parent.
By: Kristyn Farrice
In my opinion, teens don't understand how hard it is to be a parent. TV shows, like 16 and Pregnant, don't help either. I feel that the show "glorifies" teen pregnancy and will make more teens want to get pregnant, not realizing the consequences. If pregnancy is a way to get on a TV show and get your "15 minutes of fame", I feel teens are more likely to do just that...get pregnant.
ReplyDelete-Katie Meehan
DeleteI know this topic quit well I got pregnant at 16, not because I thought it was cool or tv but because I knew it was the only way I could get out of the house. Stupid, but I was young and knew everything, so I thought. Raising a child isnt easy but I didi it. I missed out on prom, going to scholarship on track. I know how hard it was and If I could talk to young people Id tell them to wait untill they are older. I love my children, but lost out on alot of my teenage years because I thought I knew everything.A baby dont make you special it makes you grow up faster. Teens should just relax, and enjoy their teen years.
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