Comments on: Pregnancies ensnare teens

By: Leah

Leah — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:57:34 +0000

Olivia,
Thanks for sharing your story and congratulations on the perserverence you have had to strive to reach above statistics. I agree that sometimes things "just happen"... Ashton came into my life when I was not planning on it.... but I don't regret it...I am joyed dearly in my heart every day.... my children give me the strength and drive to aim for more, to not settle... I think so many teen moms feel alone and abandoned with no hope... but there is hope, we just have to, together as a community support, encourage, educate them and give them reason to strive above those statistics.

By: Pottergirl

Pottergirl — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:46:11 +0000

Olivia,

Thank you for sharing your story. Kudos from a fellow Hollins alum!

By: Percy Kution

Percy Kution — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:28:53 +0000

It's a family tradition and money-making cottage industry. I doubt if it will ever slow down, and it most certainly will never stop.

By: Olivia

Olivia — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 03:18:02 +0000

While teenage pregnancy in the Roanoke Valley is irrefutably out of hand, I feel compelled to point out the naivety of many who look upon young mothers as "hopeless" and/or destined to be constrainted by their consequentially underprivileged lives.
I, for one, brought my own child into this world under similar circumstances as Ms. Baker - alone and with little hope for the future - although I had already surpassed society's deeming of "adult" status at the ripe age of 22. Like most young mothers, as Shanna Flowers pointed out, I was giddy with excitement for the arrival of my offspring. Like most young mothers, I was also slightly misguided in my assumptions on motherhood and had to learn decades worth of lessons in a very brief amount of time. Unlike these scores of girls Ms. Flowers describes, however, I had a solid enough foundation of values in place that I was determined to bypass the statistics of my situation and become the kind of woman my child would be proud to call "mother".
After realizing my life wouldn't turn around on its own, I decided to enroll in college and start working once again. Today, as a recent graduate of Hollins University and successful small business owner, I know that being thrust into motherhood at an early age is not necessarily a recipe for lifelong strife. Although my case is the exception rather than the rule, I think it's very presumptuous for others to point the finger directly at these young women - as if to suggest that they happened upon notions of irresponsibility solely on their own. Would it be so incredibly unreasonable to turn toward these girls' parents or caregivers for answers? After all, these young girls were children once themselves and must have acquired their belief systems from someone.
I'm sure, to many, the fact that I became pregnant at an early age serves to discredit my argument altogether; however, I couldn't disagree more. For me, it's simple - things happen, especially mistakes. My decision-making faculties were probably not at their strongest during that period in life, I can assure you. Being a young adult in today's world is undoubtedly scary and it takes a great deal of self-assurance to simply get by. But, had it not been for my upbringing - led by the world's most inspiring single mother - I wouldn't have had the courage, nor the determination, to make something of myself in spite of my circumstances.
My point is that it's easy to place blame on young women who may not come equipped with the right set of morals and values from the onset; but, that certainly doesn't mean it's the right way to rectify the overlying problem. It seems more important to tackle the root of these skewed beliefs, eliciting the type of change that makes a lasting impression - such as reaching out to these girls' parents. Where are the groups intended to educate elders on proper guidance? I don't mean to suggest that parenting groups for young mothers should cease to exist, but I definitely feel it would be equally as beneficial for parents with teenage children to have their own resources for "education".

Thank you for sharing your experience. May it open some eyes, expand some thinking and help us see what we can offer these girls---besides condemnation.--s

By: William

William — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:43:59 +0000

Unfortunately, many of these girls are products of teenage mothers. Their mothers were products of teenage mothers. They've seen their families living this way forever. Living off the government is an expectation.

By: Dona Wheeler

Dona Wheeler — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:25:23 +0000

Remember when girls in school had to take care of life like dolls, as part of EDUCATION? The ball has been dropped, in educating our youth, which should be earlier as we have kids becoming mature earlier. I do not understand why, again, as in health matters, prevention, ie explaining, the repercussions, of having a teenager becoming a parent,with a life long duty to a child, from economincs to limited alone time and lack of social life. Sure Mom and Dad can take this over, completly removing the teen from responsibility, just like the gal in Florida, whose little girl is MIA, the end result is disfunction of the child, all too often. Children can make it with one parent, or growing up with Gramps, but they often feel less than normal, at sometime in their life, unless they are extreamly well adjusted.
Resposible, educated, youth, what a concept.

By: New mom

New mom — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:48:35 +0000

I'm a new mom at 34. It was hard for me to adjust at my age and I cannot image at half that age! I commend those who are trying to help young new moms and more commendations to those who are trying to prevent teen pregnancy. However, this is the first time I have seen such an article or editorial in this paper addressing the issue in this manner. I have seen numerous articles (on the front page no less) that have seemed to glamorize being a teen mom. I remember the article about the young athletic girl who would only take a few months off of school to have the baby and was still going to try to go to college and play sports. Gee who's taking care of the baby...her Mom. And then the article that actually included the father of the child. I believe by the time the baby was born they were no longer together, but the future was just bright as it could be...again her mother was taking care of the child.
I think more articles and television specials should show what it's really like. Many of these girls don't have a mom to take care of the baby so they can go out and continue to be a teenager.
Thank you Ms. Flowers for your contribution. I only hope the Roanoke Times will publish more like it.