Teenage Parenthood Essay, Research Paper

A child needs a nurturing and stable environment in order to prosper and grow. I feel that only a two-parent household has the necessary means and capabilities to provide this. A child born to a single teenage mother is more likely to be poor and have less opportunities. Often times a teenage mother may be too self-absorbed with her voyage of personal discovery to appreciate fully or be able to meet the needs of her child. Having been thrust into premature adulthood, she cannot possibly confront life and the challenges of parenthood with maturity. Therefore it can be assumed that a child born to a single teenage mother is more at risk for emotional and other such problems than the child of a mature, adult mother. Sometimes single teenage mothers have adequate support systems for raising a child. In these cases, their parents often provide a home, financial support and childcare. Some school districts provide special programs for teen parents which include instruction in careers and parenting experience in daycare setting where they learn how to care for their child s needs; these experiences give the mother social support as well. Unfortunately, these situations are more the exception than the rule. A single teenage mother has less chance to finalize her education being it higher or basic than the average teenager. She may be rejected by her peers as society deems teenage pregnancy unacceptable. She may feel humiliated and ashamed after her pregnancy begins to show, so then she refuses to finish school. When teenage mother are pregnant, they are least likely of all maternal age groups to get early and regular prenatal care. There are many teens mothers who receive late or no prenatal care at all. After giving birth, the majority of girls drop out of school in order to care of the baby. If there is no one else to share the endless amount of work, she must resume full responsibility. She may be forced to pursue employment with a minimal of earning potential due to her lack of education. This scenario dictates an unstable financially secure parent, but the child may also suffer from neglect by the constantly working mother. A teenage mother has not developed enough socially to deal with the responsibility of a child. The teenage social experience is a fundamental stage of development. How a teenager develops socially dictates how effective she will be as an adult. Through interaction with peers, a teenager learns about herself. This is an important period of time to construct personal identity. If this period is cut short, she will not be competent to meet the challenges that come with raising a child. Teenagers also tend have poor eating habits, and may smokes drink alcohol and take drugs, increasing the risk that their babies will be born with health problems, Her child in turn suffers, missing the chance to grow, and develop socially. The teenage mother lacks the emotional responsiveness essential to the emotional welfare of the child.

The role of the father is instrumental in the growth and development of a child s emotional stability. One obvious factor is the financial support he can provide to the family, enabling more quality time to be spent with the child. A single mother may be forced to work in excess just to make ends meet, leaving no time for her and the child. The father is also an important role model. Through his guidance and discipline, the child is able to differentiate between right and wrong and give instruction in moral righteousness. For example, a father plays, talks, and reads to them regularly. Also a father takes the child with him to gain experiences: camping, fishing, boating to sports and so on. A child who lacks the authority and leadership of a father will have feelings of inadequacy and abandonment. These feeling may lead the child toward tendencies of depression or acting out. Since the child will share many of his or her father s characteristics, physical and otherwise, it is critical for the child to know and be bonded with their father. Coming to terms with what the father means in their life is critical to a full acceptance and love of themselves. A child born to a single teenage mother is more at risk for emotional problems than the child born to a mature mother. Many times teen mothers are filled with resentment towards their child because, they are not able to enjoy being a teenager unhampered by the responsibility of a child. Child grows-up feeling bad about him or her. In addition a child s intellectual, social, and emotional development are critical and must be protected, and nourished throughout his or her life. A teenage single mother is unable to provide this foundation. She cannot prepare her child for adulthood because she has yet to reach it. Beside the emotional problems, there are also have physical problems for a teenage mother. A teenage mother is also more at risk of pregnancy complications such as premature or prolonged labor, anemia and high blood pressure. These risks are even greater for teens who are less than 15 years old. Nine percent of teenage mother has low-birth weight babies. Low-birth weight babies are more likely to die in their first month of life the normal-weight babies.

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