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READER FEEDBACK

A Fine Line

Does media portrayal of teen mothers help destigmatize the issue for the unfortunate who end up pregnant? Or does it somehow legitimize premarital sex? Readers weigh in.

By Sarah Kliff | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jul 23, 2008 | Updated: 5:30  p.m. ET Jul 23, 2008

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  • Posted By: tranya55 @ 08/10/2008 3:13:16 AM

    Comment: Hooray for curch-40 who obviously has self-respect and a work ethic! Good luck to you and since you are obviously educated, please consider carefully the concept of "planned parenthood", with emphasis on the "planned". However, as a child and family therapist contracted to Child Protective Services, the unfortunate statistics indicate that there is very little to celebrate about young people having children, and I'm confused and terrified at the current climate of childbearing-as cool in this country today. Unfortunately, for most young people, or rather, most PEOPLE regardless of age, pregnancy is merely a side-effect of having unprotected sex. I won't list the ramifications of having children when one is not prepared--you can find this info on the net. And trust me, emotionless statistics cannot begin to describe the issues for these children-it's much worse in real life. The major point I want to make is WHY IS THERE ALWAYS SO MUCH FOCUS ON TEEN MOTHERS????? The last time I checked, it takes two to reproduce (o.k., except for fertility procedures). Why do we not also discuss the young (or older) men who contributing sperm to the equation? In my practice, more often than not, young girls are having sex early because of some or combinations of any of the following reasons: 1. to keep the boyfriend happy and attached to her (oh, and by the way, having his baby is also supposed to make him stay-right......); 2. peer pressure, being cool, getting lots of attention from boys, etc; 3. the young mom was sexually abused as a child; the young mom's family of origin was very chaotic, with usually some combination of addiction/violence/neglect/mental illness/etc, etc. It's starting to sound like these girls are victims, right? Well, the young men didn't have it any easier, but in our society we parents expend an incredible amount of effort trying to keep our daughters from getting pregnant, but our young men are not taught self-control, personal responsibility, etc. It's usually, "boys will be boys", and a secret sigh of relief frol Dad because his kid's not gay. In fact, some families actively encourage their sons to get out there and conquer! I have seen several cases where an older brother/cousin/uncle will show an 11, 12, 13 year old boy XXX rated porn as a way to man-him-up. Well, the technical term for that is sexual abuse. Anyway, thanks for listening, and please, let's also hold these young men accountable as integral partners in the lifelong endeavor called parenthood!

  • Posted By: Dangerous Thoughts @ 08/05/2008 2:06:27 PM

    Comment: I honestly don't think it is acceptable at all to say Jamie Lynn Spears is a shining example of a teenage mom, cuas she has enough money so she doesn't have to work, like she gets it pretty easy, but what about all the other teen moms? there's about 30 expecting and already teenager moms at my school. None of them have had a "fun time in teenage parenthood" like Jamie Lynn Spears. I think it's wrong to condem teenage moms and most of them are doing a great job, but to exalt Spears for getting pregnant as a teenager too and saying that she is a new role model or demographic is nothing but ridiculous

  • Posted By: curch-40 @ 07/28/2008 4:52:44 PM

    Comment: I am 18 years old. I have an 11 month old daughter. I'm also engaged and getting married in April. I'm in a great relationsip with a guy who is not my daughter's father (as he was abusive, I got myself and my daughter out of that relationsip when it hit a turn for the worst). My fiance is however the father of the baby I'm pregnant with now. We planned to get married BEFORE I found out I was pregnant. We both are working and we are making it just fine. I also graduated with honors and am currently is summer session at university where I'm taking a dual major of psychology and law. My 20 year old fiance is a firefighter. I never have, and never plan to be, on financial assistance. So, don't worry, you're not paying for my child. I'm perfectly capable of doing that on my own, thank-you-very-much. If you were to ask me if it's all easy, I'd say no. But then again, at what age does getting up in the middle of the night with a sick baby become easy? 20? 30? How about.. never.. but it is worth it! I would NOT recommend this, but I wouldn't condemn it either. I knew I could make it work, and I've proved that, but some people just can't make it work. At any age. Not just as teenagers. I know just as many adults living on welfare, or being poor parents, as I do teens. Come to think of it, in my town, there are five sets of teen parents that I can think of, all but my ex and myself are still together (3 are married), and hopefully no adult would stay in that relationsip either. And only one is on welfare, and that's because she's currently in school to become a police officer. I can, on the other hand, think of many adult couples (or single parents) that are being supportted by tax payers and are terrible parents to their children. I take offence to the fact that they fail to show the teen parents that are actually doing something with their lives and making a great life for their children.

  • Posted By: cinbob @ 07/28/2008 9:20:14 AM

    Comment: I am not against teen moms. I am against glamorizing teen moms the way the OK magazine does Jamie Lynn. Jamie Lynn's experience is not the norm for teen moms, but teens may not be able to see past the flash. The media does the same to adults too. Looking at Angelina Jolie you wold think that it's possible to have 4 children under age 6, be pregnant with twins, and work on multiple movie projects while doing charity work and attending publicity events. How does she do it? Lots of money and hired help. So not the typical experience for moms of any age in this country. The thing is, as adults we realize this. Teens haven't the life expereince and maturity yet to recognize that Jamie Lynn, like Angelina, lives in a world with resources most of us can only fantasize about.

  • Posted By: carefullmom @ 07/28/2008 4:17:04 AM

    Comment: When I was just a fourteen year old child I was surprised to find myself pregnant. I knew how it happened, but I think I was so naive that I didn't think that it would happen. I don't recall my folks ever speaking to me about the subject. When they finally figured out what was going on with me, they drove me to a clinic and forced a decision down my throat. I don't really know what decision I would have made if it had been left up to me, I think I probably would have just gone on in childlike ignorance not believing that any of it was really happening. After the tears cleared and I realized what had happened, and took responsibility for what I had done, I became so angry that I became near obsessive about having another baby. At 18, I did. I moved out of my parents home at midnight on my 18th birthday and called them a few months later to tell them that they would soon be grandparents. They indicated that the 4 years of remorse that they had watched me endure had led them to believe that only having a child was going to help me begin to heal. I thank God for their support and believe that my daughter healed wounds in my family that might never have otherwise healed. With my folks support and personal drive resulting from wanting the very best for my daughter, I finished college, landed a good job, eventually married a great man who adopted my daughter, finished graduate school, and now have two more children. The first five years when I was going to college and being a mom were really challenging. Other students were going to parties and I was washing diapers and working a night shift to make enough money to pay my rent and buy food. My oldest daughter, now 20 and in college, and my middle daughter, now 14, know that they can come to me with anything and I will not judge them, but will help them no matter how difficult the situation. They tell me that I have given them a tremendous role model to strive towards in their own lives. We have spoken openly and honestly about birth control, sex, and the hardships of raising babies alone and in poverty for so many years now that I cannot remember when we started. I think teen mothers and mothers-to-be or perhaps not-to-be need more non-judgemental support to help them make a decision about whether they have what it takes to raise a child. And for those young women who do choose to keep their baby, government programs should focus less on hand outs that lead to dependence and more on high school completion programs and college credit programs such as childcare money for woman who take college courses to enable them to get good paying jobs. Judgemental and negative comments certainly won't help a young pregnant woman make healthy decisions. I thought Juno was a thoughtful representation of how a family dealt with a crisis, and how a young girl made a very brave, realistic, and generous decision for the well-being of her baby.

  • Posted By: sweetgirl*08 @ 07/28/2008 1:42:59 AM

    Comment: responseibilty and take care of him and i thank my mom for that. It just hurts that people think we cant be good parents because we are young and they wont have both parents in their lives well my son is now 3 and his dad and i have been together for 5.5 years and i love him to death and we are expecting are second little boy in september i have been on my own since i was 18 with my boyfriend right by my side.

  • Posted By: lillysmommy @ 07/28/2008 1:42:53 AM

    Comment: It is my opinion that we need to try to better educate teen mothers. Trying to prevent teen pregnancy is great but imposible. The fact is teens are going to get pregnant. The best thing to do is educate the teens when the do become pregnant and teach them how to be the best mom they can be and help them continue school and find jobs. I was lucky. My daughter was born when I was 16 years old. Luckily I had a supportive family and a school that centered on educating teen mothers. I was able to get my diploma get a great job and I am now attending college as well. My daughter has not suffered in anyway from the time needed to go school and work. Online classes are a great thing. I can be home with my kids and go to school. My daughter and I spend tons of quality time together. If there was something I could do to help educate teen moms and help them through this time in their lives I would be more then happy to do it. I have gained a lot from my experiences and I think all teen moms should have the same opportunities available to them.

  • Posted By: yammiscammi @ 07/28/2008 1:41:24 AM

    Comment: How the heck can we compare Jaime Lynne Spears to the normal teen?..We can't. She could raise that baby with or without her family. She can afford the finer things in life for that baby. We could only wish!..As a Latina and a mother we need to teach our teen daughters that we need to stay focused on respecting ourselves and our bodies. To all the teen mothers out there...(Keep your head up and be strong!)

  • Posted By: sweetgirl*08 @ 07/28/2008 1:38:02 AM

    Comment: I had my son at age 16 at 16 and a half got my first job at a fast food place not much but it paid for my gas and stuff we needed. we lived with my mom at the time and she DID NOT raise my son yeah she helped out and showed me a lot of stuff but i am the mom and i had to learn she wasnt the one who got up and feed him at night i was, am i mad or angry with her NO he is my son and i had to grow up and take the responseibi


    responseibility

  • Posted By: lillysmommy @ 07/28/2008 1:37:21 AM

    Comment: I believe that trying to prevent teenage pregnancy is impossible. It is my opinion that the best thing to do is educate them on how to handle being a teen mom if and when it happens. If educated about the topic teen moms have more options. I had my daughter when I was 16 years old. Luckily I had family support and a school that taught me how to be a good mom. I graduated high school have a great job and am in college as well. My daughter has not been left out in anyway. I spend tons of quality time with her and I am able to take care of her by furthering my career and education. I believe that we as a society need to worry a little more about educating teen moms because no matter how much effort is put into preventing teen pregnancy it just isnt possible.

  • Posted By: yammiscammi @ 07/28/2008 1:33:50 AM

    Comment: Look what we don't realize is How the heck can we compare Jaime Lynn Spears with the normal Latino and African-American and low income Caucasian teens!..there is no comparison...She has the means to support a baby with or without her family. Most normal teens don't have a chance.

  • Posted By: sweetgirl*08 @ 07/28/2008 1:33:03 AM

    Comment: I just want to say F&^% u to Harpers_Fairy i dont know u but man i dont like u

  • Posted By: SHAMAR17BROWN @ 07/28/2008 1:15:01 AM

    Comment: WELL I DON'T SEE WHY PEOPLE ARE MAKING SUCH A BIG DEAL OUT OF TEEN PREGNACY.BACK IN THE LATE 1800"S AND THE EARLY 1900'S TEEN PREGNACY WAS VERY COMMON AND EVEN STARTED AT THE AGE OF 11.PARENTS HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY WERE DOING AT THAT AGE. TEENS ARE GOING HAVE SEX WETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT.DECADES AGO MOSTLY AFRICAN AMERICANS HAD TEEN PREGNACY,GOT MARRIED TO AN OLDER MALE ADULT,OR HAD TO BE A SLAVE WHO WAS BEING RAPED BY THE SO-CALLED MASTER!!!SO GET OVER IT'S NOTHING NEW TO THE WORLD ABOUT GETTING PREGNANT AT AN EARLY AGE.AND YES I WAS A TEEN MOTHER!!!

    • Posted By: Yuseff @ 07/28/2008 12:50:32 PM

      Comment: Yes, in the 1800s and early 1900s people were having children at 15 or so, but they had gotten married at 14 and the young man had a job working down on the farm or at the mill somewhere. You can't quite compare that to whats happening today.

  • Posted By: Harpers_Fairy @ 07/28/2008 1:02:19 AM

    Comment: I look at the teen pregnancy rate as the down fall of our society. I don't think that teen mothers are bad people they are just humans who made a few wrong choices. I don't think a teenager can be a very good mom because they are still children and don't have any life experience or the brain capacity to make mature decisions. But with respect to teen mothers they do the best they can for their age and as far as Jamie Lynn Spears goes, she is far from the typical teen mother she has money to pay someone to do her job. I think society as a whole has said it is okay to have have babies when you are children...the family is slowly but surely dying.

  • Posted By: Allronix @ 07/28/2008 12:50:13 AM

    Comment: Y'know, I'm not a mom, but I am auntie to five girls and a boy. Seeing as my Ma worked for medical offices, we kids got the basic "talk" at age 5! There are your parts, these are his parts, and here's the basic mechanics. As we got a little older, it became "here's all the data about contraception, and you damn well better use it."

    And were we the ones who got knocked up in our teens? NOPE! With my eldest nieces, no one saw any reason to skirt the issue with the kids. "Yes, dear, sex can be fun and romantic. It can just as easily be messy and lead to all sorts of medical conditions you don't want. Now, if you don't have the stuff to walk into that drugstore and purchase some Trojans, then you ain't ready. If you are ready, and want to get more facts than I have on tap, here's the hotline to Planned Parenthood." (And to y'all who want to scream about it being nothing more than an "abortion factory," I'll have you know that it was my primary care medical clinic when I was flat-broke, uninsured, and straight out of college. I got a decent physical exam and didn't have to live on ramen for the next three months).

    Likewise, the nieces have decided that they want careers and to finish their education. They know what a condom is, how to use it, and haven't had the *need* as they're putting school before boys. The parents who are sheltering the kids, who are embarrassed about sex, or who cloud the subject with shame? Yup, those are the ones who are buying diapers before tuition.

  • Posted By: AmandaCHaney @ 07/28/2008 12:40:50 AM

    Comment: I am a teen mother and it absolutely pisses me off that people have such horrible things to say about us. Yes, there are those teens who don't take good care of their children and are not deciding to go far with their lives... however, there are those of us who still finished high school, are going to college and taking damn good care of our babies. If you don't know what you're talking about, you shouldn't speak. You aren't in our shoes and have no room to judge. We are not a bad example or an example of irresponsibility. We are a example of maturity and people who know how to step up to the plate when needed. It's ridiculous that people assume that because ONe person makes a bad example of a teen parent, that all of us our the same way. I got pregnant at 17 and had my daughter at 17. I continued to go to school and graduated on time with above average grades. My daughter's father is still in the picture and we both take Very Good care of our 3 month old. So all of you who think you know everything about us can shut the f*** up immediately because if anything, You are a bad example. An example of a judgemental, disrespectful individual.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 07/28/2008 2:53:20 PM

      Comment: Whoa, sweetie, calm down. I was a teen mom, too, and I'm not offended by the stigma because it's true. Does that mean that you aren't a great mother? Not at all. You are an exception to the rule and should be extremely proud of yourself. I finished high school and continued all the way through to my MBA, but for everyone one of you or me, there's ten women out there who are on welfare, don't take care of their kids, and are irresponsible. If you read the posts, a lot of them are by people who have been down the same road as you. Being a teen mother is not a good, respectable thing. Call it whatever you want, but it's not. It's wonderful that you are doing such a good job, but getting pregnant at a young age, before you can have an education, house, marriage, stable career, etc. is not the ideal way.

  • Posted By: AmandaCHaney @ 07/28/2008 12:39:20 AM

    Comment: I am a teen mother and it absolutely pisses me off that people have such horrible things to say about us. Yes, there are those teens who don't take good care of their children and are not deciding to go far with their lives... however, there are those of us who still finished high school, are going to college and taking damn good care of our babies. If you don't know what you're talking about, you shouldn't speak. You aren't in our shoes and have no room to judge. We are not a bad example or an example of irresponsibility. We are a example of maturity and people who know how to step up to the plate when needed. It's ridiculous that people assume that because ONe person makes a bad example of a teen parent, that all of us our the same way. I got pregnant at 17 and had my daughter at 17. I continued to go to school and graduated on time with above average grades. My daughter's father is still in the picture and we both take Very Good care of our 3 month old. So all of you who think you know everything about us can shut the f*** up immediately because if anything, You are a bad example. An example of a judgemental, disrespectful individual.

  • Posted By: TinaWith2Cats @ 07/27/2008 11:51:28 PM

    Comment: I wanted to be a teen mother, but my mother was set against me becoming a mom and did everything in her power to prevent it.
    Now after a major car accident and 15 years of recovery......I'm so grateful my mom didn't have to raise me and a child of mine!!
    At 38 I know my clock is only getting faster and time is running away. While I desperately want to have a child, today's economy and the thought of pregnancy, birth and raising the child alone is too much for me to consider getting pregnant.
    These young girls don't have a clue what life is yet and doesn't know what it really takes to go through something so life changing. The media has made pregnancy look fabulous and it is if your grown up, married and ready.......then you're still not ready.
    What is missing from the media is the reality of getting pregnant, telling parents, the pregnancy and hormones, child birth and raising the child buying diapers, formula, clothes, shoes, blankets, etc for the next 18 years.
    I blame the media for making Jamie Lynn's story so glamorous and easy......it isn't!! My 15 year old cousin is a daddy for the first time to a premature girl and the mommy is only 14! He will now not have a chance for college or a regular life through high school because he is a daddy.
    Parents are to blame for not educating their children and showing them proper ways to use birth control or just to not have sex! Sad so very sad

    • Posted By: iwillmakeit @ 08/02/2008 9:59:25 PM

      Comment: TInawith2cats: I think it is BS that you say your nephe will never be able to go to college. I had my first child when I was 17 and my husband wen to college straight after HS and I am now attending college. I believe we probably made it though because we had a loving and supporting family that NEVER put us down but pushed us to accomplish more. Maybe you can be the aunt that pushes her nephew to never give up.

  • Posted By: bigswede @ 07/27/2008 11:51:18 PM

    Comment: Sum1nTx - you do deserve a "way to go" or something like that, and so does your hubby. And with all these teen pregnancies, where are the dads? Also, I'm tired of the whole "blame the media" cop-out. The media should be able to tell intelligent, funny stories like JUNO without getting chastiesed. We bitch andh moan about how tv and movies are mind-numbing but when an original thought or voice comes throug, we proceed to mow it down. In my eyes, JUNO did not say that teen pregnancy was ok ... it simply showed a family responding to a crisis. Was it funny? Yes, and who's life does not have a little sarcastic, black humor in it every day, if you look closely?

    But ultimately, no matter what you think of Hollywood, it is not their fault! Schools and parents and - gasp! - teenagers HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for this. Especially teens! People in America these days have gotten so used to being able to blame SOMEBODY ELSE for everything, that we don't know how to assume blame ourselves anymore! This has got to change or we are doomed!

    And finally - to Teen Mom - my heart goes out to you (and it does not go out often) - I can tel you from my own experience of being the child of divorce, that YOU, as the strong, single MOTHER, will get all that your children have to offer. No matter what their relationship with their "dad" is, it will NEVER equal the love that they have for you. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask! And as a fellow entrepreneur, check out http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/home/index.php!

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 11:36:45 PM

    Comment: To Teen Mom:

    My heart goes out to you. I'm so sorry for what you and your children have suffered. I'm excited to see you become successful despite your circumstances (and really glad to see your ex in jail). Best of luck to you. : )

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 11:34:03 PM

    Comment: Besides, I was once a teenager, too. No my life wasn't perfect and I struggled in everything I tried (legal or not). But I never got pregnant. It was a choice I made. I was a mess, but I was NOT going to wind up with some kid I couldn't take care of. So why should teens who make bad choices not accept the consequences of those choices? Now I am 30 years old and I have a 4-yr old. Yes, I do know the strains and pressure of being a parent these days. But when I had my son, I already had a college degree, a job, and a 5-yr marriage. I'm not looking for a medal, I just want to know why people like me never get anything except more taxes to pay for others who don't want to take responsibility and excercise a little restraint in their lives.

  • Posted By: Teen Mom @ 07/27/2008 11:32:04 PM

    Comment: I was a teen Mom.

    Their "Dad" and I were married when I was 16 he 18. I cringe when I see a young woman stuck with the responsibility of a child/children.
    I was a too young to be married woman and much too young to be having children.
    I graduated high school at age 17.

    I got divorced at age 25.
    My ???true love, high school sweet-heart??? had beat me for the last time.

    I left the marriage with broken teeth a black eye and my three little girls.
    He left the marriage with a fresh new green card.

    He never helped pay child support and basically was free to live the life of a bachelor.


    I worked 14 hours most days.

    I was able to support and keep a roof over our heads.

    I still love my job.

    I own my business.

    My oldest got pregnant when she was 13.

    I was now stuck supporting four girls.

    (My ex had molested ???our??? children).
    The police department didn???t follow up on my reports of molest, their excuse was that I was upset from the divorce. He was a school bus driver for Laidlaw in Barstow, CA.

    He was arrested, (He confessed to molesting the girls) and released due to the statute of limitations.

    Keep your pants on ladies, not only is there a risk of getting knocked-up, but such a great risk of getting a disease that could possibly end your life. Please don???t waste your precious life. Wait until you finish your education. Get your life in order before making babies.

    I can spell pregnant and I can spell ignorance.
    I would not wish pregnancy on any teen.

    One final thought, my two youngest are on their way to great careers, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

  • Posted By: Teen Mom @ 07/27/2008 11:30:59 PM

    Comment: I was a teen Mom.

    Their "Dad" and I were married when I was 16 he 18. I cringe when I see a young woman stuck with the responsibility of a child/children.
    I was a too young to be married woman and much too young to be having children.
    I graduated high school at age 17.

    I got divorced at age 25.
    My ???true love, high school sweet-heart??? had beat me for the last time.

    I left the marriage with broken teeth a black eye and my three little girls.
    He left the marriage with a fresh new green card.

    He never helped pay child support and basically was free to live the life of a bachelor.


    I worked 14 hours most days.

    I was able to support and keep a roof over our heads.

    I still love my job.

    I own my business.

    My oldest got pregnant when she was 13.

    I was now stuck supporting four girls.

    (My ex had molested ???our??? children).
    The police department didn???t follow up on my reports of molest, their excuse was that I was upset from the divorce. He was a school bus driver for Laidlaw in Barstow, CA.

    He was arrested, (He confessed to molesting the girls) and released due to the statute of limitations.

    Keep your pants on ladies, not only is there a risk of getting knocked-up, but such a great risk of getting a disease that could possibly end your life. Please don???t waste your precious life. Wait until you finish your education. Get your life in order before making babies.

    I can spell pregnant and I can spell ignorance.
    I would not wish pregnancy on any teen.

    One final thought, my two youngest are on their way to great careers, I am keeping my fingers crossed.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 11:24:57 PM

    Comment: to wdjd4kjp: kuddos to you! (^_^)

    to uptilltwo: Insulting people who frown on teen pregnancy won't change the fact that there are irresponsible teens out there who want to make every excuse and blame everyone else for their own choices. AND as I said before, I'm tired of paying for it (taxes). You're right, the teen moms WILL meet people who aren't sympathetic to them. Why should we be sympathetic to them? We aren't sympathetic to drunks, wife abusers, pedafiles, and anyone else who blames everyone else for their own choices.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 10:34:02 PM

    Comment: All I'm saying is if a teen is not ready to committ to one person (i.e. MARRIAGE) then they are not ready for parenthood. (This goes for both teen mothers AND fathers). Everyone keeps saying thing like "they just need to use condoms" and "sex outside marriage IS ok." Just take a look around you. If it was really "ok" why is it that teens are having babies and relying on government assisstance (that WE pay for) to help them. I am sick of working my butt off just to pay for other people's mistakes. I say make the teen parents take care of their own kids (don't use the government). Get off of WIC and buy your own diapers and formula. If I ever meet a teen mom who can pull THAT off (without help from anyone else except the baby's father) THEN I'll sympathize and take my hat off to them.

    By the way, Milo-kun, my birth control facts came from an ob/gyn. Take it up with the docs and quit trying to twist the numbers to make it look like condoms and birth-control pills are as safe as abstinance.

  • Posted By: Odkin @ 07/27/2008 10:33:23 PM

    Comment: The media always hurt, because the media always take the wrong side of any socio-political issue. If the media is unbiased, how exactly have Conservatives been able to accurately predict for decades that the media is 90% Democrat? That number is consistently proven out by polls of journalists and public donation records. Of course the media glamorizes teen pregnancy, single motherhood, and working moms. It always puts "personal empowerment" ahead of responsibility, common sense, and social order. The media would never show a working or single mom failing as a parent, and when it does it is always because we stingy taxpayers don't subsidize bastard children adequately. Never because it's just stupid, wrong, or irresponsible.

    • Posted By: Yuseff @ 07/28/2008 1:00:36 PM

      Comment: Never show a working or single mom failing as a parent? You must not watch the 10 o'clock news.

  • Posted By: pcollar @ 07/27/2008 10:02:12 PM

    Comment: of course, it is by no means ideal for a teenager to get pregnant since it will change everything about her future. however, i do not believe that a movie star's experience of teenage pregnancy can have much relevancy or value to a young girl from a normal background as said television personality has a lot of advantages that the normal girl will never have. For this reason both teenage and older unmarried women in the media who become pregnant set a bad example. I do not believe they are wrong to be pregnant but I do believe it is wrong to make a pregancy and ensuing baby the latest fashion accessory for the stars!

  • Posted By: azmom712 @ 07/27/2008 10:01:50 PM

    Comment: I don't think we may blame the media for the increase in teen pregnancies. Responsible parents need to have realistic talks with their children about human reproduction long before them become biologically able to become parents. Being realistic includes a talk about safe sex, the use of contraceptives, and the consequences of being a single parent. That won't stop teen pregnancies all together, but it would help. By the way, the word is condoms, not condemns. You have to learn to spell them before you learn to use them.

  • Posted By: pcollar @ 07/27/2008 10:01:03 PM

    Comment: of course, it is by no means ideal for a teenager to get pregnant since it will change everything about her future. however, i do not believe that a movie star's experience of teenage pregnancy can have much relevancy or value to a young girl from a normal background as said television personality has a lot of advantages that the normal girl will never have. For this reason both teenage and older unmarried women in the media who become pregnant set a bad example. I do not believe they are wrong to be pregnant but I do believe it is wrong to make a pregancy and ensuing baby the latest fashion accessory for the stars!

  • Posted By: pcollar @ 07/27/2008 10:00:06 PM

    Comment: of course, it is by no means ideal for a teenager to get pregnant since it will change everything about her future. however, i do not believe that a movie star's experience of teenage pregnancy can have much relevancy or value to a young girl from a normal background as said television personality has a lot of advantages that the normal girl will never have. For this reason both teenage and older unmarried women in the media who become pregnant set a bad example. I do not believe they are wrong to be pregnant but I do believe it is wrong to make a pregancy and ensuing baby the latest fashion accessory for the stars!

  • Posted By: saraha71 @ 07/27/2008 9:59:44 PM

    Comment: In most families, NOBODY wants their fifteen year old daughter to have casual sex. Whether they use contraceptives or not, it's just not OK.

    Even if I wasn't religious, I would want my child to have sex only within the confines of a committed and loving relationship. Because of the way we are bringing up and educating our children (Jewish Orthodox), I can safely assume that they will get marrried at a relatively young age, and they will avoid this issue completely. Totally different world than the rest of you, I know, but in this protected environment in which we raise our children, that is a given.

    But in the rest of the world, most parents - Jamie Lynn's mother included - probably don't know the intimate details of the child's sex lives. You can talk to your kids in general terms, but you don't know what they are up to. Mention BC or condoms, and they may or may not take your advice, or not feel confident enough to demand that they use a condom. If your child is having sex, she CAN end up pregnant.

    So then your child becomes pregnant. Now what? If you are opposed to abortion, how would you handle this situation? Tell your child it's OK for her to destroy a potential life because she is not ready for it? So if your daughter decides to keep the pregnancy, because this is in line with her (and yours) personal beliefs, she can either give it up for adoption (as in Juno) or keep it, as in Jamie Lynn.

    I personally think Jamie Lynn did the right thing. The alternative would have been a much better version for her career: a quiet abortion, nobody would have known, and she could have been a little star of Nickelodeon. But she chose not too. She chose to have this child, and care for it . I think she made a hard decision, one that really changed her life, because she felt it was the right thing to do. So I don't point her out to my teens as a bad example. I say she's someone who faced the outcome of her actions, and decided to do what was best - not just for her- but for the other life that she had created. I think we should learn from this situation is A. Obviously, don't get into a situation in the first place (practice safe sex, or abstinence, which ever path you present to your child) ; b. if youu do find yourself in a situation, do what's right - not only what's best for you. Because ultimately doing the right thing IS the best thing you can do for yourself.

  • Posted By: njw456 @ 07/27/2008 9:58:33 PM

    Comment: I am a teen mother and i find it sad that some of the teen moms cant even spell pregnant! I got pregnant with my son in late september, and gave birth to him 5 days late on june 29th 2008! Dont get me wrong being a mother is not all its cracked up to be, And not all teens have unprotected sex! Trust me on this!! I was using the pill when i got pregnant and i had nerve missed a day! I am 18 years old and i am DAMN proud to be my sons mother! Oh and by the way im one of the lucky ones whos childs father is till in the picture, oh and i can spell the word Pregnant!!!!

  • Posted By: wdjd4kjp @ 07/27/2008 9:55:30 PM

    Comment: I was a teen mother, but i was married at 15. No one really prepared me for motherhood. I had no real examples to look to. I was so scared and both sides of the families were like shut up it's just normal. Well, I beg to differ. Because of today's society, the media makes having a baby as a teen or hopping in the sack with a married lover,not married to you, couples living together and not married, the homosexual lifestyle that is also immoral are all made to look like they are okay. That there is nothing wrong with it. Today's society's philosophy is if it feels good , do it. We are so far away from the life God wants us to live. It steadily gets worse as the years go by. But it is of no surprise, considering that it has all been fortold and we know that nothing has changed with mankind over the centuries.Be not afraid to tell the truth. Love those teens who have given in, but make sure they live with their consequences and just continue to love them.

  • Posted By: alsgalisme @ 07/27/2008 9:50:44 PM

    Comment: We can all aim to stand up and be acknowledged for the choices we make that hopefully, become our proudest accomplishments. What the media portrayals and the young mothers fail to recognize is that time is our greatest teacher. One can have all the love in one's heart for their child, aim to do the right things, but just not have the means to finance a lifestyle that gives their child choices too. No father in the home, is an incomplete scene for the nurturing of the child. I'm not talking drunkin', abusive men; I'm talking balance. When a young mother does not complete college because she must work to provide for her child, she traps herself into good paying, but ultimately dead-end jobs with no future advancement. Yes, there are positive stories out there of women who overcome great obstacles, but the reality is these are rare and few. A good, loving, supportive family that are willing to step up to the task of taking over babysitting, (not just dropping off at Grammas because she won't charge me to babysit), paying for day camp, the cost of going to the prom, coaching little league or hosting scout parties, are all in the mix because Mom's salary will cover the essentials only. Single Moms too tired from working and keeping house, groceries and laundry, and attending parent-teacher conferences make lousy company. Because she's young, she'll want to date and can often resent her child holding her back from single outings. It happens. It's not planned, but life is hard. Trying to make the best possible choices for everybody involved takes real work: emotional, physical and financial. A young woman, on her own, with little supportive resources is biting off something much bigger than she may be able to chew, no matter how much she wants to. I speak from experience. Am I sorry that I became a mother at a young age? not one bit. Do I regret how I handled it? Almost every day. Do I now wish it could have been any different? Most assuredly. Am I bitter? Sometimes. I am 57 yrs. old now and about to buy my first home ever by the end of this year. There has been many a sleepless night and enough tears to fill a swimming pool getting here. Would my only son, now an adult, agree? We don't know; he refuses to speak to me at this point in his life.

  • Posted By: azmom712 @ 07/27/2008 9:49:24 PM

    Comment: I don't think the media is solely responsible for the rise in teen pregnancies. I think in general there has been a decline in morals in this country. Rich, immature, self-centered celebrities are being touted as role models and I think responsible parents have to lead by example. So get off the cell phone. Put down the laptop and Blackberrry and talk with your child realistically about human reproduction and the consequences of being a single parent. Judge less. Listen more.

  • Posted By: NewYorrk89 @ 07/27/2008 9:48:30 PM

    Comment: Sex outside marriage IS ok. Also, anyone who relies on the media for moral advice is an idiot. Also, there is absolutely no way that Juno glamourizes teen pregnancy. Have you people ever even seen the movie? The fact is that it happens. People should just be more careful and use condemns.

  • Posted By: hardcorerightwing @ 07/27/2008 9:29:32 PM

    Comment: I think these teen moms should learn how to spell......

  • Posted By: hardcorerightwing @ 07/27/2008 9:29:06 PM

    Comment: I think some of these teen moms should learn how to spell.......

  • Posted By: Royal K @ 07/27/2008 9:15:59 PM

    Comment: Showing that 2 teenager who had a baby step up to there responsibility is great. Even though its wrong to even have sex so young. I just think that because she is a Spears and comes from a family of a famous sister they make it look so beautiful to be a teenage mom like its so ok for celebs. So its showing something positive but negative also . Maybe the magazine should be more real and make her do a documentary discouraging teenagers from being sexually active maybe even try to encourage them to wait for marriage. Encouraging people not to make the same mistake she did. She assume responsibility as a teenage mom; and thats a wonderful thing but its not ok for teenagers to become parents. Iam sure that every sensible person want the problem {teenage pregnancy} to be minimize. so don't make it look so rosy; the cons and the pros should be shown.

  • Posted By: doehoe @ 07/27/2008 9:10:11 PM

    Comment: ok.i am a teen mom and i never would have thought about have a kid till i got pregnet with mine.you make it sound like it is a bad thing which it is not.so i dont know why you people are up in everyone business.let us be its are life not yours so i dont know why you care so much.we are the one taking cre of them not you.so just leave us alone and let us take care of your lifes

    • Posted By: Yuseff @ 07/28/2008 1:06:47 PM

      Comment: Excuse me Ms. Hoe,

      I would personally like to buy you a copy of 'Hooked on Phonics'. Please leave your address so I can know where to send it.

    • Posted By: uptilltwo @ 07/27/2008 11:07:47 PM

      Comment: People generalize about teen moms like they do about everything else. They take ONE aspect of a person and make all kinds of judgement calls on statistics that are altered depending on who publishes them. Hang in there mom and hold your head high. You;ll meet many with a narrow view because they have neither traveled anywhere except the reaches of their own narrow minds and back yards, nor read a page
      of history which shows this happening in all societies (media or no media) since the beginning of time.

  • Posted By: doehoe @ 07/27/2008 9:08:08 PM

    Comment: i am a teen mother and you make it seem like it is a bad thing.i love my kid and i would of never thought about haveing a kid till i got pregnet.so you all need to stop makeing sond like it is such a bad thing to be a teen mom and just leave people alone.its they life not yous

  • Posted By: SteveSmith @ 07/27/2008 8:58:05 PM

    Comment: The media (this article included) is so disingenuous and irresponsible. Of the more than two dozen STDs, only two of them (gonorrhea and HIV) are even mildly restricted by condoms. The most rampant one among teens (HPV) is not even dinged by condom use, and is acquired by 75% of sexually active teens. And then they totally ignore the concept held by most Americans--that a pregnancy represents another human being that is murdered by an abortion--let alone the provable fact that teen sex destroys social and emotional health. If both sides of this issue were TRULY discussed in the media, not only would teen pregnancy decrease, so would teen sexual activity.

  • Posted By: henrytucker @ 07/27/2008 8:51:03 PM

    Comment: Jamie Lyn Spears and the other celebrity mothers won't be on public assistance.while raising their children. The non-celebrity teen mothers will not have access to nannies and other surogates who can care for their children while they work or try to continue their education. The teen dads can be treated like adults and one way iis having them pay child support. There is a price to be paid for that "moment of pleasure. Five or Ten years it would be interesting to visit Jamir Lyn and the others to find out whether they attended any PTA meetings or went to any Parent/Teacher conferences to indicate their "hands on parenting skills." While it would be ideal if Mom and Dad had that "birds and bees" conversation with their sons and daughters before the hormones kicked in but as was depicted in media from the 2oth century, Mom and Dad often dropped the ball. Someone else could weight in on how the Playboy philosophy came about. along with man having a wife and a mistress. Do not forget the babysitter who was alluring enough for a man old enough to be her father. Take a second look it may not always be teen boys getting the girs pregnant but 30, 40,50,60 something year old men. Newsweek you may want to do a future article about this.

  • Posted By: mtaylor90 @ 07/27/2008 8:50:45 PM

    Comment: If Newsweek follows the modus operandi of the typical media, then 80% could well be what they mean by a "slight majority" of those who know the media glamorizes this kind of situation. There is nothing glamorous about a young woman losing what should be her most precious possession, which is her virtue. But, since in this "do it if it feels good" society, she finds herself letting down her guard, then she should do one of two things. One, marry the young man who got her pregnant if he will take the responsibility. If not, the only sensible thing is to give the baby up for adoption so that it can be raised in a family, with a mother and a father who are prepared to take on that responsibility. Small wonder why it happens so often though when you have practically every actress in Hollywood trying to pop out that one little trophy child with her partner (i.e.-not husband), and then take bids on who gets first dibs on photographing the baby like it was some two bit piece of merchandise.

  • Posted By: NewYorrk89 @ 07/27/2008 8:35:50 PM

    Comment: Sex outside marriage IS ok. Also, anyone who relies on the media for moral advice is an idiot. Also, there is absolutely no way that Juno glamourizes teen pregnancy. Have you people ever even seen the movie? The fact is that it happens. People should just be more careful and use condemns.

    • Posted By: wdjd4kjp @ 07/27/2008 10:08:22 PM

      Comment: I really feel sorry for you NewYorrk89, because apparently you do not read the Bible or know what God says about fornication, which means IT IS WRONG TO HAVE SEX OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE. Not only is it wrong, but it damages the relationship forever. And if it doesn't work out that you get married, then you have no special gift to give the one true love you may find. The gift can only begiven once, after that it will never come back. Also, bringing baggage into a new relationship may hurt the chances of it to develop in God's special love. He does forgive and once you are forgiven it is gone, but you still cannot like I said give the true love of your life your special gift. This is the same for males and females. Just think of what it would be like if the parents and the teachers worked together to teach the moral way to live one's life.

  • Posted By: Traci121304 @ 07/27/2008 8:21:31 PM

    Comment: ok ... first of all ... if it wasnt on the tv or magazines etc etc... its still happening and nothing is gonna stop it ... and i dont think age defines a mother.. theres parents out there that are 35 years old and dont do a good job at being a mother.. im not saying go out there and get pregnant.. there are ways to avoid it but ppl make mistakes.. mistakes are going to happen.. we do not live in a perfect world.. i wish ppl would understand that.. as much as a lot of us wish it were a perfect world.. its not... things have changed... from year to year things change.. its not the same when out grandparents were growin up to our parents to us.. and now our children. .... it is a blessing to have a child and if they get pregnant young .. i believe they should live up to the responsibilities of being a mother.. and take care of their children and not pawn them off on there parents or others to take care of them.. a child will either make you or break you as a mother ??.... everything and anything you do will reflect on your child..so do the best you can and think twice of your actions as a MOTHER... and i agree with the first woman who said that all this negativity isnt going anywhere... you guys need to learn to keep your comments to yourself.. they have enough stress as it is being a young parent... and technically .. nobody .. ( unless u have lots of money) .. but nobody is ready for a child... you never know what you can do til its already there??.. bills.. u dont know if u can afford a car , a house,, etc.... a struggle is a struggle... and what doesnt kill you will only make u stronger.... im not trying to sugar coat being a mother.. it is defin. a hard full time job.. that you have to do .. especially being young.. trying to manage school, work, a child, doctors,... i have lost a lot by being a mother... but gained soo much more... and i wouldnt trade it for the world...

  • Posted By: angel_aaah @ 07/27/2008 8:10:16 PM

    Comment: I was 14 when I became a mom and I'm now 44. My child should have been given up for adoption, I could have spared him so much pain . Having to grow up with a mom that was still a child was no easy thing for him and yes the media and society is telling teenagers that sex outside of marriage is ok. Nowhere are they being told "you can say no" I mentor teen moms and I know. We as a soceity must teach them to wait. Juno had some good aspects the disapointment of her father, her response I'm just a child what will I do with a child, and giving her baby to someone that would love and cherish her child. Lets get back to morals wait for marriage children need both parents!

  • Posted By: FireCracker10 @ 07/27/2008 7:36:24 PM

    Comment: i dont think magazines help at all, pretty much all of the teen moms tey feature have the money and the time to have a baby. If they REALLY wanted to help, they could have one of the teen moms who had her baby, but had to struggle to take care of it, who had to drop out and have her talk about it from a relatable persons point of view. Not Miss my-money-takes-care-of-everthing, that just makes it "cool" to a bunch of little girls who idolize them.

    Im not saying teen moms are sluts and should be ostracised, but they just need to think about stuff. cmon girls a box of condoms is completely affordable and a cheaper way to have sex than to have to pay for child care.

  • Posted By: DenSib @ 07/27/2008 7:31:52 PM

    Comment: I had my son at 16 years old. It was one of the hardest things to go through not because taking care of a baby was not possible, but because of the incredible amount of negative criticism and looks received from strangers. People need to be a little more sensative to the fact that teen pregnancy happens and stop being so judgemental. My son has been the biggest blessing and I have a happy successful life. I'm 28 now and learned a great deal from my experience. These girls need all the support they can get, NOT criticism.

  • Posted By: DenSib @ 07/27/2008 7:28:25 PM

    Comment: I had my son at 16. I finished school and married a wonderful man about 4 years ago. The hardest thing for me about having a baby at that age was dealing with the incredible amount of negative judgement by complete strangers. I don't think that the media glamourizes this issue. It is something needs to be talked about. People need to understand that they dont' know what these girls are going through and they need not only their family's support, but everyone else's as well.

  • Posted By: leo-br @ 07/27/2008 7:16:10 PM

    Comment: For kristinbates:
    If we are to accept teenagers having sex as a "normal" thing, we will have to change the law about paedophilia. If teens are ready for sex, adults are ready too. And if you think so, you should't mind if a 55 year old guy was having sex with your 14 year old daughter. Think about it!

  • Posted By: adani @ 07/27/2008 7:09:07 PM

    Comment: The media is glamorizing teen pregnancy. It a subject that shouldn't be glamorized in anyway and it shouldn't hold completely negative connotations either. Sure teens have been getting pregnant forever, but what happened in those times, they ended up having to drop/stall everything to take care of their new responsiblities. There are plenty success stories regarding teen pregnancy, but that doesn't make it right, that just means someone did the right thing through the obstacles of life. Now it seems like the media is already rewarding teens like Jamie Spears for simply having a kid and noot resenting it. I agree with taxpayer2, check back on Jamie Spears in 10,15,20 years to see if she really was a good teen mother.

  • Posted By: dawayne @ 07/27/2008 7:08:56 PM

    Comment: people need to take a chill pill. education is key. if you are a good parent you will teach your children the fatcs and not leave it up to schools which dont always teach the real facts as oppose to opinion. your child will listen. wheter or not they follow-up with actions is on them. all a parent (or person in any situation) can do is educate using hardcore facts.
    parents are thier households fcc. if you dont like the artical, don't read it or tolerate it in your household. simple, right? i mean, regardless your kids are going to read whatever they want from "God only knows"..your job (as a parent) is to help them seperate the facts from fiction in what they read, hear, and watch.

  • Posted By: leo-br @ 07/27/2008 7:08:51 PM

    Comment: The way media is presenting these "disasters" is sending the wrong message to lots of immature teens.
    I live in Brazil where teen pregnancy is epidemic, and our biggest TV network (Rede Globo) is the one to be blamed the most because of its teen soap opera, "Malhacao", aired in the afternoon, that induces teenagers to be sexually active.

  • Posted By: kristinbates @ 07/27/2008 6:59:34 PM

    Comment: "TEACH THEM TO SAY NO AND MEAN IT THEN TEACH THEM TO HIT THE GUY WHERE IT COUNTS"
    Well what if they don't want to say no? What if they want to have sex? You do realize that teenage girls can enjoy sex just as much as the guys. Teach them to say no for when they really don't feel comfortable with the situation - but besides that, you need to teach them how to be safe and protected for when they want to say yes.

  • Posted By: kristinbates @ 07/27/2008 6:53:09 PM

    Comment: Also, how can anyone say that teens having sex isn't "normal"? Obviously it isn't ideal in our society because many are being completely irresponsible and not using contraceptives, but just because we don't like it doesn't mean it isn't normal. Is sex not normal then? Because in every other animal, once they reach sexual maturity, they begin to reproduce. It's just natural. The problem isn't that teens are having sex - that has and always will happen - it's that teens aren't being safe or responsible about their decisions.

  • Posted By: kristinbates @ 07/27/2008 6:49:20 PM

    Comment: The media seem to be creating this "fine line" all on their own. They act like there are only two options: glamorizing teenage pregnancy, making it look easy and romantic, or trashing teenage mothers, making them look terrible. Why can't the media just show it how it is? Obviously anyone who has ever had a child, and most that haven't, know that raising one is not at all a simple task. It isn't something glamorous and "fun." However, that doesn't mean the media has to make teen mothers look bad. Why not just tell the story the way it happened, without all the hype? Take a story about a teen mom, explain that the decision to have sex and not use birth control caused her pregnancy, and then show how it really is. Use the media to portray that having a child is hard, no matter what your age, but that especially as a teen it makes it more of a struggle. You just tell the story. That doesn't mean that anyone looks bad, or that anything needs to be made to look easy. If you explain what happened, the pros and cons of the situation, what should have been done differently and how it will now affect everyone involved... how can people argue with that?

  • Posted By: FirstZebra @ 07/27/2008 6:40:30 PM

    Comment: How come these teen aged tarts can get away with their bastard$!
    Where are the "fathers" or is the turkey baster more popular that everyone realizes.
    I have nothing but contemt for these juvinile ho's!

  • Posted By: newslew @ 07/27/2008 5:57:11 PM

    Comment: It is too easy for a teen bo become a public supported parent. I feel that a new mother applying for public welfare should be granted assistance ONLY after the FATHER has been identified. Then all possible efforts should be made to collect from these fathers. If the father is also a teen, his parents should be assessed the cost of the public welfare. I know in the end, there still may not be any assets to tap to pay the bill, but at least more parents of teen boys would be impacted by the financial demand of a welfare baby.

  • Posted By: Taxpayer2 @ 07/27/2008 5:53:39 PM

    Comment: NO teen should be getting pregnant in this day and age! There are to many"birth control" methods. And with all this talk about the teen mother - the real victim is the baby. Never mind the mother is now not persuing an education but she (the teen mother) is setting her child up for failure. The time to plan for your child is befor you get pregnant. As for Jamie Lynn as a new mom - ask her how it's going in 15 years. All she did was get pregnant - she is NOT a successful mom yet.

  • Posted By: angrymother @ 07/27/2008 5:39:26 PM

    Comment: we should teach our children to think about consequences BEFORE they pose the act. Teach them to weigh the pros and cons of their actions. we need to be better parents. Yes, we are to blame. We allow it to happen in our houses, in our beds, and we don't object because we think it is NORMAL. NO, it is not normal. STOP the madness. Parents, take back your dominion. Be parents.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:29:10 PM

    Comment: to gabby:


    Your story is positive, but please remember that it isn't the norm. Most teen dads simply disappear and it's up to the mom to make ends meet. I would say that out of all the teen parents I've taught over the years, maybe 5 were dads (and 5 is really pushing it).

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:25:47 PM

    Comment: For the record, birth control pills are only 90-95% effective (depending on the brand and other stuff). Condoms are only 85% effective. Food for thought for all the teens out there.

    • Posted By: Milo-kun @ 07/27/2008 8:11:29 PM

      Comment: Actually Birth Control is about 99.8% effective and Condoms are 98-99%. Get you facts right and get your head out of the abstinance programme propaganda.

      • Posted By: summer4077 @ 07/28/2008 3:01:19 PM

        Comment: Those statistics are with PERFECT use, which rarely happens. Perfect as in taking the pill at the same time every single day, a condom not breaking, etc. Sum1nTx's statistics were more accurate. The most accurate form of birth control is having your tubes tied, Depo, Norplant, and things like that...and they STILL are only 99.7%, so your statistics are completely off base. Perhaps you should get YOUR facts right. http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1997/conceptbl.html

      • Posted By: wdjd4kjp @ 07/27/2008 10:30:52 PM

        Comment: And Milo-kun, what is so wrong with teaching abstinence? It doesn't matter about the facts of effectiveness of anything. What is important is letting our teens know that we love them no matter what, but that they need to save their gift for the one they will marry. And only to be given on the wedding night. Some people are against abstinence because they are participating in pre-marital sex and are trying to justify their sin. There is no justification. Sin is sin. And sex outside of marriage is a sin against the body. Again, we should love those children who are having children, but we need to let them know that they will have consequences. As parents we need to support our children when they have made a mistake. But they also need to learn to live with their choices.

  • Posted By: South23 @ 07/27/2008 5:23:29 PM

    Comment: Jamie Spears is not going to be the last teen to get pregrant and sure in the hell isn't the first. You see people at your school a lot more than you see the magazines and the is where the biggest influence is coming from anyway. Most people could care less about celebries having babies, I am one. I can't count on my finger how many of my friends where pregrant in high school, but I still at the age of 23 have no kids and don't plan on having any. People choice their own futures if you want to have a kid you have sex, if you choice not to have a kid you don't, that the best way to put it. Stop blaming the media and the parents, because kids choice to do what they want.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:23:13 PM

    Comment: to gabby:

    Never mind, you already answered my question. Best of luck to you and your family. : )

  • Posted By: DamonsMommy2005 @ 07/27/2008 5:22:44 PM

    Comment: Being a teenage mother, I think that the media portrays teen pregnancy to be easy. In the end its not! I'm turning 20 in October and my son will be 4 in January and it is the hardest thing I have ever done. I was with his father for almost 5 years and he is still there for our son and I thank god everyday for that. But the girls who are just getting pregnant by whoever don't seem to realize how hard it is when the father is not around. No more partying except when you find a babysitter, and a whole mess of things come with having a kid. I was on birth control-Othro Evra Low and still got pregnant. I also know many girls who were pregnant at the same time as me who got pregnant on the same pill. I came from a broken home and had a lot of issues, but I still to this day do not think that it justifies having a child. It is cheaper to been on birth control than to have a baby, and like I said its not as easy as it is portrayed to be. I mean yea I got my high school diploma and am in college but I'm just trying to make it by in this world and with the media portraying having a baby to be so easy, it really makes me mad because it is far from easy. Take it from me, WAIT until your married or at least until your old enough to take care of yourself and a child too.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:21:47 PM

    Comment: to gabby:

    It's nice to hear that you and your boyfriend are committed to your child. I don't mean to pry into your business and you certainly don't have to respond. But are you planning to marry your boyfriend and committ to him as you have committed to your child. Are you in/planning to attend school so you can get a better paying job? Do you plan to be with your boyfriend 10 years from now? I certainly hope so, but if not do you have a back-up plan to care for you and your child if things don't work out the way you plan to? If so, then kuddos to you. You should be speaking to more teen moms so they can see it is possible to still be successful even when you're a teen mom.

    • Posted By: angrymother @ 07/27/2008 5:34:36 PM

      Comment: Poor little girl. you have no clue what you got yourself into. Why don't you continue this conversation five years from now. I bet you will have a whole different perspective. Good luck in all your endeavors.

  • Posted By: gabbydoesntknow @ 07/27/2008 5:19:21 PM

    Comment: to the comment below.my baby may have food stamps and wic,but he does not go without anything else.he has clothing,books,toys and an unbelievable amount of love,that no other family could ever give him.my child will never go without.my sister in law got pregnant young,and hre kids have NEVER gone without.there's no reason to give them up b/c you may not be rich.even though i am 18,i have done everything for my baby to help in the future.
    i may be poor,but i have saved up money from when i worked,and my b/f does the same now.we both finished school while our moms watched him.and we both plan on going to college after we get into our new house.it may be difficult,but it can be doone w/o your kid going withouht anything they want and plenty of love.

  • Posted By: gabbydoesntknow @ 07/27/2008 5:15:05 PM

    Comment: to "parent with morals".
    it is not the parents fault at all.kids are going to do things whether or not the parents want them too.you can preach to your kids for hours,doesnt mean they'll take it all in.and i am a teen mother.me and my b/f got pregnant at 17 and had our son at 18.he's 8 months now and it is hard hard,but i dont regret it.my b/f was there through all of it and we take care of him together.we dont pawn him off or anything.so not everyone is bad if htey get pregnant.and its not the parents fault.me and him were ttogether since we were 14.we've been in love and still are.no,being a teen parent isnt glamourous,but i love it.even through all the dificulties.and i dont think i lack moranls at all.i wasnt sleeping around.and obviously,my b/f wasnt just in it "for the sex either.its wrong to judge.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:12:51 PM

    Comment: Lemets:

    The reason adoption hasn't come up because more and more teens (at least the ones I work with) are opting to keep their babies. They tell me they feel a responsibility for their child and they don't want some stranger raising their kids. *sarcastic laugh* Even if that means the baby has to be raised in government housing living on food stamps instead of being adopted into a loving couple's home who are financially stable and have more than enough resources to care for that child.

  • Posted By: gaushihtzu @ 07/27/2008 5:10:57 PM

    Comment: The media assists in glamorize alot of bad things. The movies, newspapers and authors write in how cool it looks to smoke, drink, have affairs, rape, and teen pregnancy.

  • Posted By: lemets @ 07/27/2008 5:09:14 PM

    Comment: Why does no one ever bring up the subject of adoption?? There are thousands of couples
    who want children and are financially and emotionally capable of caring for them. If more
    children were available for adoption, there would be less child neglect, abuse, welfare, etc.

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:08:24 PM

    Comment: It's disgusting how everyone wants to blame the media and Jamie Spears and everyone else they can think of. Don't get me wrong, they are partially to blame. But the ultimate responsibility falls on first the parents to education their own kids, THEN on the kids themselves. Teenagers are known for wanting to "be treated like an adult." So, ok, here's to all your wanna-be adult teen parents: Get over it, raise your OWN kids (don't put it off on someone else) and stop crying about how the media and everyone else "made you do it."

  • Posted By: therapist 08 @ 07/27/2008 5:03:56 PM

    Comment: I believe that it is glamorizing teen pregnancy, however it is a subject that has been around for years to come now and that we need to do more in society to educate our teen age youth. I feel that if it was an african american who had a baby at the age of 17 and out of wedlock, she would have not been on the front magazine cover. That just goes to show how America is still racist and if a white american can do it it is fine, but if it was a black teenage girl, then there is something wrong within her community and she comes from a broken, single parent home. Just in the case of former American Idol Fantasia Barrino, who had a baby at a young age and how America turned against her for her decision to have her child and the media has been glamorizing Jamie Lynn Spears for having a baby at the age of 17 and is not currently married. The magazine needs to be more cautious of who you put on your magazine cover and the morals that you portray to ALL OF AMERICA, NOT JUST WHITE AMERICA!!!!!!!

  • Posted By: parent with morals @ 07/27/2008 5:02:09 PM

    Comment: TEACH THEM TO SAY NO AND MEAN IT THEN TEACH THEM TO HIT THE GUY WHERE IT COUNTS. MOST
    BOYS DON'T CARE WHAT THE DO THE JUST ARE HAVING UNSAFE SEX! wHERE ARE THE PARENTS OF
    THESE CHILDREN IT IS NOT OKAY FOR YOUR TEEN TO HAVE SEX! WAIT UNTIL THEY ARE MARRIED
    AND KNOW HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND A BABY, AND A FATHER THAT IS INVOLVED ALSO. MOTHERS OF TEENS IT IS NOT GREAT TO BECOME A GRANDMA AND LET MORALS GO OUT THE
    WINDOW. i HAD A BABY WHEN I WAS 18 BUT I WAS NOT PLANNING FOR THE PREGNANCY IT
    HAPPENED. i WAS NOT EVEN MARRIED FOR TEN MONTHS WHEN I HAD MY SON. LIFE STOPPED
    THERE MY RESPONSABILITY WAS MY SON NO ONE EVER HELPED ME AND I RAISED HIM BASICALLY ON MY OWN. WHEN BABY COMES THERE IS NO LIFE FOR MOM, THAT IS IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE
    CHILD ON YOUR OWN, I HAD FOUR CHILDREN AND THEY ARE ALL GROWN AND I HAVE 3 GRAND-
    CHILDREN BUT MY CHILDREN WITH THEIR SPOUSES RAISE THERE CHILDREN AND DO NOT PAWN
    THEM OFF. PARENTS NOW A DAY DON'T WATCH THIER CHILDREN THE CELL PHONE IS THERE
    PARENT. MY CHILDREN DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES AND WHEN THEY WENT SOMEWHERE THE
    GAVE ME NAME ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER, AND WERE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME THROUGH
    THE EVENING IF I CALLED AND THEY TOLD ME MY CHILD WAS IN THE BATHROOM AND COULDN'T
    COME TO THE PHONE THEN I WOULD GO TO THE PERSONS HOUSE AND CHECK ON THEM.
    I ALSO RAISED MY CHILDREN WITH GOOD MORALS AND THEY KNEW BETTER TO DO SOMETHING
    BEHIND MY BACK. THEY WERE NOT ANGELS BY KNOW MEANS BUT I BECAME A GRANDMA WHEN
    IT WAS TIME. SO WAKE UP PARENT CHILDREN DO NOT NEED ALL NIGHT TO BE OUT AND CHECK
    OUT THE BOY WITH, THEY DON'T CARE IF SHE GETS PREGANT SOME ONE ELSE WILL PAY FOR IT
    MAIN THE TAX PAYERS. SHAME ON THE PARENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    • Posted By: njw456 @ 07/27/2008 10:06:53 PM

      Comment: Excuse me! i think your dead wrong, yes there are a select few teen that don't care what happens but if you look at them compared to the ones who have grown up a great deal and take responsibility right away you would know that some teens can be good parents! Oh and not to long ago Girls were getting married and having children at 13 so get your head straight we have been doing things like this for years and i doubt you will stop it any time soon! by the way im 18 and i have a one month old son, his dad is arround and he does help! we are getting married in a year and a half!

  • Posted By: Sum1nTx @ 07/27/2008 5:00:46 PM

    Comment: Would you talk to your teen about the effects of drunk-driving without talking to them about why you shouldn't drive drunk in the first place?? That doesn't make sense. All I've seen in these comments is the after-effects of a teen pregnancy and how teens "feel" about talking to their parents AFTER they are pregnant!!!!!!!! What is so wrong about talking to your teenager BEFORE they have sex?!?!? I am a high school biology teacher and I have had up to 50% of students in my class either pregnant or parenting. When I teach about the human body and