Teen Pregnancy, Hollywood Style

well im a going to be honest i am a 17 year old female how has had sex during the period of time when i was having sex it was a constant worry..i was always afraid worring is this going to be the time i get pregnant and now that i am not longer sexually active for my own personal reason i dont have that worry and now a days more and more of my friends are getting pregnant or already have babys and the funny things is while i was having sex i thought that could never happen to me just because i thought i wasnt like that and i just got a reality check when sister who is only 6 years older then me turned up pregnant so if it can happen to her what will stop it from happening to me... i think that is what is amatter with teens these day they think oh that will never happen to me it was only one time we always fine excuse for why it wouldnt happen to us then when or if it does happen we act like we are so surpirsed and confuse like they werent there we it happend it just surprises me... and i cant imagine having a kid at 17 i am still a child i have dreams n wish and place i wanna see you cant do that with a 18 month old or a 4 year old

I am 15 years old, and 3 of my friends already have a baby and i've had a scare myself. This guy was the sweetest, cutest most respecful guy i'd ever met. until i thought i was pregnant, then he's not ready to be a dad. thankfuly i wasn't, but it was a horrible experience, and i never thought that it could happen to me or my friends. it did, the more our parents tell us not to have sex we want. parents, no matter what your religion dont just tell your kids not to have sex that's how i was raised, tell them that if they must, use a condom, come talk to you first so birth control can back it up and nothing is 100% so you can always get pregnant, and even with an abortion, that baby is with you forever, you never get over it. we need to understand that if something happens you'll be there, not be scared to tell you like on "secret life"

i am a young mother at 22 with two kids with my husband. i think that jamie lynn taking the responibility is a huge step. my mother raised me at 16 and i have a wonderful life and i am really close to her. i would never take that back. it is not about tv or whats in the magazines teen will still do what they want to regaurdless of what parents say. it take people to stand up a say we need better sources to teach and show the real hard truth about having kids. it is very hard for me at 22 to work, go to school and have time for being myself as a wife. and we need not to sugar coat the issues anymore. TV will always put what ever is popular at that time for viewers, thats media for you..
poeple are to much into what magazines and tablodes have to say about the spears sisters but give them props to make the right and best choses for their kids instead of raising them in a hard life with no one to help them. give them a break. every mother and father have hard times it is an on going learn prosess with children, ups and downs and time you want to pull your hair out. but as long as you are doing the best and giving the best parenting skills what makes you a bad parent????
it is for the people of the world to put a stop to teens wanting a child at a young age and teach them better values and the true cold hard facts about teen pregnency. that way you wont have to here drama of a teenager when they find out they are pregnent and the hurt of what their lifes will be someday.

i am a mother of two and i think that even in schools ,it is brushed of the shoulder and put on the parents to talk to thier kids about sex with the after math of no protection. but as for tv what ever is the big money for them it will be on tv. so you cant blame whats on tv you have to blame the parents. you can choose what they put in thier heads, plus kids today will still do things behind your back. its part of learning for them. we all make mistakes, some just come with a huge responsiblity.

I was not a teen parent, but I was young, and unprepared for it, my husband was less prepared to the point of leaving me. I have been a single mother now for the past 4 years or my doughters 6 years. I have a decent, and lucky to have found the child care I have, but sometimes it's still very hard when you live paycheck to paycheck. Unlike so many others, I am lucky that Vermont gives so much in health care and school lunch assistance. I know when we no longer qualify for that everything will be hard. But it's also hard living in the world we live in today. Prices are going up, for everything. It sounds so strange to say that gas at $3.99 is a good deal, when a year ago it was a dollar less, and 3 years ago it was not even $2. Milk is on the rise, vegetables, fruit, meat, everything. Rent goes up, bills pile up, and after a while you're so stuck you can't do anything to save yourself, which is sad when you have your child to worry about and take care of at the same time. I am lucky to have the help of my family when I need it, but for all those single teens and young mothers and in some cases fathers who have no family support, and in alot of cases no friend support, it's hard.

Though, in the terrorized world we have today, you would think these kids would be smart and say, I better use some sort of protection, I can't imagine my child being raised with the world at such a state.
Bombs, hijakers of planes, muggers, burglars. Every one is over seas fighting with people for so many different reasons.

I know what kids learn in school, it's only been 10 years since I have been out. I know they learn about current events, I know they learn about pregnancy and STDs in health class. I had myself tested twice last year because a partner told me he had contracted an STD, I was lucky, I had not, but I had the test done twice to be sure.

There's alot to worry about out there, and while I do live in my own little bubble ignoring and not watching the news, I still know what is harmful to me and others, I still know I need to take every precaution to keep my daughter and myself safe. I wish these kids knew the same.

It's difficult to know exactly what to do, and it seems that many people have tried various plans. Parents can talk to their teens as much as they want, but the teens will ultimately be the ones to make their own decisions. I don't think teens understand how easy it is to become pregnant; that they only have to fool around and not really have sex in order for it to happen. Once it does happen, no one but the teen can really make the decision to parent, abort, or form an adoption plan. I chose to give my son a family through adoption, and it was, without a doubt, the best decision for me and for him. When I was younger I never would have chosen to go through that, but I cannot deny that he is the reason I was born and that that decision was the one I was supposed to make. As wonderful and beautiful as this experience was for me, I cannot say that it is the correct decision for everyone to make, nor can I say it was easy. I have seen what it has done to my family and I still have moments of pain and sadness, but I made the decision and I believe it was what I was meant to do at the time. If a teen is pregnant, I think it is the adult's responsibility to get her to fully consider each of her options. The only way anything will be fully successful is if the birthmother is the one to make the decision.

I was a teen mother myself... I don't think it's responsible for Jamie Lynn's mother to say, "she just can't wait until she can be a soccer mom!" and for Jamie Lynn to say "Being a mom is the best feeling in the world!" I'll tell you, it was not the best feeling for me. It was nothing like the baby shows on TLC! I'm 33 now, and my life is not the "typical" teen parent life. I'm not on welfare, or on any other government assistance. My kids do not even qualify for free/reduced lunch. I am stil a single parent, and it is difficult being the youngest parent all the time! My daughter is turning 16 next month. I have been talking to her and my son both about relationships and sex in age appropriate ways since they started school. I am terrified that my daughter will get pregnant, so I took her to the doctor and had her put on the shot. Yes, I have talked to her about abstinance, but I'm trying to live in reality... I also talked to her about condoms, and diseases etc. I am trying to be a responsible parent, but it's still hard to know what to do! I took both of my kids to see Juno, and afterwards, we went to dinner and talked about it. The hardest thing is getting my daughter to understand that I was not just another dumb teenager. She got tired of me talking about it and would say, "I know mom! but just because you got pregnant when you were a teenager, doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to!" But I just keep talking! I used to go to middle schools and high schools to talk about being a teen parent... I stopped when my daughter started middle school herself.

I was a teen mother myself... I don't think it's responsible for Jamie Lynn's mother to say, "she just can't wait until she can be a soccer mom!" and for Jamie Lynn to say "Being a mom is the best feeling in the world!" I'll tell you, it was not the best feeling for me. It was nothing like the baby shows on TLC! I'm 33 now, and my life is not the "typical" teen parent life. I'm not on welfare, or on any other government assistance. My kids do not even qualify for free/reduced lunch. I am stil a single parent, and it is difficult being the youngest parent all the time! My daughter is turning 16 next month. I have been talking to her and my son both about relationships and sex in age appropriate ways since they started school. I am terrified that my daughter will get pregnant, so I took her to the doctor and had her put on the shot. Yes, I have talked to her about abstinance, but I'm trying to live in reality... I also talked to her about condoms, and diseases etc. I am trying to be a responsible parent, but it's still hard to know what to do! I took both of my kids to see Juno, and afterwards, we went to dinner and talked about it. The hardest thing is getting my daughter to understand that I was not just another dumb teenager. She got tired of me talking about it and would say, "I know mom! but just because you got pregnant when you were a teenager, doesn't mean I'm stupid enough to!" But I just keep talking! I used to go to middle schools and high schools to talk about being a teen parent... I stopped when my daughter started middle school herself.

to:3irock1011, Ididn't think you were rambling much if at all. There is wisdom in your words for 14 years of age. It is best for each person when they make their individuals choices to have the truth and know the consequences so they can make an informed decision. I as a parent would be supportive to my son or daughter if it should happen but I would want to know their heart and their mind set on how this happened because I would not want to make life easy for them, in other words- let them have their consequences, if they went into it with their eyes wide open and made a decision to have premarital sex with all the facts on hand. This to mean would mean that they didn't think they would mind the work of being a teen parent and result of their choices. I would definitely want them to know the truth. I am a compassion person especially toward my family so this would be difficult for me to allow my children to suffer for their actions but I would work at it out of love!

This is a very controversial issue. Everyone knows that front page articles are thrown out of porportion when dealing with "the stars". For this topic, it's not about glamorizing teen pregnancy; it's about highlighting the highlights. When chapters like pregnancy happen to a person they are congratulated on their blessing, wished good luck, and talk about the sweet things that come along with it. Nobody congratulates on their "new mess" or "new commitment" or "sleepness nights" or "expenses"! So what makes Jamie Lynn's story so "glamorous"? She is only telling the "highlights" of being a new, and young, mom; not "glamorizing" it. Her story is NO different than any other "new mothers" story given the exception of her age; and that in itself isn't rare in "REAL LIFE"! It's only rare for Hollywood. And again, we all know most stories are blown out of porportion. (wink)

Have you read the papers or watched the news lately (Angie12985)??? It's funny because I don't see a lot of parenting going on...maybe you live in a different world than the rest of us do. It is great that you rose above your challenges and made something of your life; but the fact of the matter is, a lot of young moms take the easy way out and abort or just live as a teenager with a child at home wondering where their mommy is. So, the movies that make these pregnant teens lives' look so easy; gives these childish teenagers and warm, fuzzy feelings about the "what if" factor.
I was pregnant young as well - but also have seen many young girls that aborted or are bringing up children A lot of these teenage moms can barely function as one; let alone having the full blown responsibility of another. AND, its ALL about the choices you Make to put yourself in the position to have to handle the consequences. Everyone has a different version of what the "Right Thing to Do" is - and that is scary. As sad as it is, Hollywood has been playing more of a "Parenting" Role than some parents - so it would be nice if the movies/shows at least tried to be a bit more realistic when showing pregnant teenagers and their life stories.

Nobody ever mentions that Jamie Lynn Spears has a ton of money, so she doesn't have to worry about the financial reality of raising kids.

Well I think its just showing the reality of what could happen. Its not glamorizing anything it shows the consequences of being irresponsible and being sexually active at a younger age. It shows the trials and tribulations of a teen mother in high school the way it effects her LIFE, friends, family, school work; how older generations look down upon teen pregnancy and an abortion is 50/50 in the looked down upon to only other
option ratio. On the other hand it is the "trend" in Hollywood and could in turn be associated with being sexually active to influential teenagers wanting to be like their favorite actress. But either way I see it is, a parent shouldn't look down upon their child for being a teen parent its happened get over it, accept the fact that change is inevitable good or bad, and embrace the fact that the miracle of life is giving you a new addition to your family.

Well I think its just showing the reality of what could happen. Its not glamorizing anything it shows the consequences of being irresponsible and being sexually active at a younger age. It shows the trials and tribulations of a teen mother in high school the way it effects her LIFE, friends, family, school work; how older generations look down upon teen pregnancy and an abortion is 50/50 in the looked down upon to only other
option ratio. On the other hand it is the "trend" in Hollywood and could in turn be associated with being sexually active to influential teenagers wanting to be like their favorite actress. But either way I see it is, a parent shouldn't look down upon their child for being a teen parent its happened get over it, accept the fact that change is inevitable good or bad, and embrace the fact that the miracle of life is giving you a new addition to your family.

I agree with bobomack that we as parents need to raise our kids and do the teaching. Hollywood and the media who publishes these magazines and TV shows does not tend to show the pitfalls of teen pregnancy. As it appears more and more teens in society will get the message that it is culturally acceptable to get pregnant as a teen and most kids do not think about what this means in consequences to them if they do. We need to alert our children to the truth and advise them not to idolize celebrities in the media. Teaching abstinence until marriage is the best way to avoid unplanned pregnancies and single parenting and will help to do away with our children's unneccessary suffering. Adoption is not always a happy ending and I have found that those who have had abortions that believe in God and have a conscience have difficulty forgetting what they have done and deeply regret it.