Teenage mothers are putting themselves, and possibly their child at risk when having a child young; as their bodies and brains are not fully developed. The articles argument of women in their thirties having children as bad because " [when women get older] their bodies are tearing down" is quite a bold and unfair statement. To be fair they should have pointed out that previous pregnancy itself is what often causes the stress to "show" in/on an older womans body. It stresses a young womans body as well, yes a woman nearing menopause will have great cause for concern if she be considering a pregnancy, but a teenager also has conerns about what stage their bodies are in, considering a womans body (including reporductive organs) is not fully developed untill AFTER adolecence. Read some medical journals, or some midwives reports, the acceptance of having children in teen years has died down largely because we have become more aware of the harsh effects it has on the mothers mental and physical health. Not to mention the fiscal stress teen mothers do in fact place on society. I know alot of teen moms insist they are "doing it all on their own", but how often does a teen parent earn enough money to house, feed, and provide medical for themselves, and a child with limited education and little work experience?...not to mention insurance, home furnishings, baby care items, clothes, utility bills, transportation, and mischelaneous expensences ie. internet, cable, telephone, entertainment. WE all know most teenagers dont have enough to make it on their own Period! Its not right to present teen motherhood as a great and glamorous blessing. Tax payers have their own families costs to worry about, these children who are having sex with such a disgustingly cavalier attitude need to keep their legs shut untill they can stand on their two feet.
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Grandmother Spears Speaks Out
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What's it like to hear so many people trying to figure out what role your daughter's pregnancy plays in society?
If you look back in history … We're [in] a much more technical age, much more educated in some ways. But I think our generation is having babies so old ... I think 20s, that's a good age ... [when women get older] their bodies are tearing down. When they start having babies it makes it so much more difficult and then they can't get pregnant, because all the stuff is kinda set in ... I don't think people are looking at it that way. I think your 20s is a good time to have babies. Jamie Lynn has done beautifully with what she's done. Could every other teenager do what Jamie Lynn has done? No indeed.
You and Jamie Lynn got some negative press when she got pregnant so young. But more recently, 17-year-old Bristol Palin, and her mother, Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate, found themselves in a similar situation. And the publ
ic reaction has been different.
It's a totally different reaction. It's as if [Sarah Palin] became celebrated. I mean, the mother, Palin, was celebrated for this. Every woman in the world has applauded her strength and her convictions and poor little old Jamie Lynn—you saw how she was crucified. Everybody did, firsthand ... I just feel like it's been a very hypocritical situation.
What advice would you give the Palin family, having been through a pretty similar situation?
I really can't give advice. I wouldn't give advice because everybody's situation is different. I would never tell anybody else what to do with their child. I would never attempt to make them think I knew more about their child. Even if they were to ask, I would tell them dig deep, what do you think?
© 2008
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