A recent opinion column in the Washington Times, titled "Many Teens Opt to Get Pregnant", by Cheryl Wetzstein, lists some of the reasons that teens say they get pregnant according to a 1998 Guttmacher Institute study of 187 California teen mothers - 32% of whom intended to get pregnant.- "I like babies, having something that's mine"
- "It's weird, but something or someone is telling me to have a baby"
- Some teens will see having a baby as a way to confirm their love relationships.
- Motherhood can catapult a teen into womanhood and a higher social status: to poor girls, becoming a mother is "the surest source of accomplishment within their reach."
Talk to your pregnant daughter about these points. Do any of these reasons play into her thinking?
Discuss what makes someone an adult. Is it just age? Is it responsibilities? How is independence defined in her words?
What are her current goals in life, short term and long term? What accomplishments would she like to finish? How will she get there? What practical step can she take towards these goals right now?
No comments:
Post a Comment