Teenagers Today...

Yes, when I say that phrase I feel old, but the reality is I'm only 26 and would therefore not be classified by old. But the times, they are a changing, and it's been very shocking lately at how much they are changing.

I recently read an article, which was brought to my attention by a friend, that said there is a group of 17 girls at a high school in Massachusetts who are pregnant. Apparently, it is a smaller town in a fairly remote area of Massachusetts. The a group of girls at the high school made a pack to get pregnant and raise their children together. The school has reported administering some 150 pregnancy tests, and when the girls who weren't pregnant found out, they were sad! It is rumored that a 24 year old homeless man is the father of some of these illegitimate children.
When I was in high school it was fairly embarrassing to be a pregnant teenager. I felt sympathetic for the girls, but I definitely did not want to be in their shoes. I have to admit, I was sexually active, but took measures to not get pregnant.

The article reported that the school and the parents of the children in attendance are arguing over whether or not to provide free birth control without parental consent. Hello, did you not see the root of the problem - these girls made a pack! The school would have to shove the birth control down the girls' throats. Simply handing it out would not have prevented the problem.
One girl, who had had a baby in her freshman year, speculated that these pact girls wanted a child who would love them unconditionally. This is such a misconception. Pregnancy, is usually not fun! When you have the baby, you are the one who provides the unconditional love, especially when the child is screaming and you can't figure out why, when the child is puking or pooping on you, when your breast provide the worst pain ever, and when you are so tired you fall asleep while standing up - just to name a few.

My speculation is that, there are some issues these girls have at home. It may not be all of them, because peer pressure is murder. Now, I've heard before, "Don't blame the parents," but come on. You are going to expect your teenage daughter to be responsible for her child, but you yourself aren't going to take responsibility for a possible lack of parental control or guidance. Did you speak to your daughter about sex? Did you instill values, morals, and guidelines for how your child should live their life? Think about it and get back to your daughter!

I recently read another article that touched on the problem of teenagers taking nude photos of themselves with their cell phones and sending the photos to other kids versus the notes that my generation sent around asking, "Does he like me? Will you ask him?" I guess, being self conscious of your body at that age has gone out the window!

These articles scare me. They scare me because my son is only 18 months old, and if this is what teenagers are doing now, I can only imagine what issues I will deal with when my son is a teenager!