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Posted by Susan Carney Jun 25, 2008 |
It’s all over the news: 17 girls at a Massachusetts high school are pregnant, more than four times number the school had last year. The rumor was that at least some of these girls made some sort of “pact” to get pregnant at the same time.
Though that has yet to be verified, consider an additional aspect of the story. It was also reported that some of these girls made repeated trips to the school health clinic for pregnancy tests, and appeared disappointed when the results came back negative. When it was positive, they began to happily bond over discussions of baby showers and raising their children together.
None of these girls is older than sixteen.
I remember being sixteen. I thought I knew a lot more than I did, and believed that I could handle anything. But I also had dreams and plans that didn’t include getting pregnant in high school.
Maybe that’s it. Maybe these girls don’t aspire towards much beyond being a young mother. Maybe they are looking for a purpose, maybe they are looking for love and attention, or maybe they think a baby will be the answer to all of their problems. Or maybe this is some odd, extreme form of peer pressure whereby girls will make a decision that impacts not only their life but the life of their child, just to fit in with their friends.
Pact or no pact, it’s likely that these girls have underestimated the care, maturity, and sacrifice required to raise a child. It isn’t all smiles, baby showers, and unconditional love. As any parent knows, taking care of a baby is hard work, and parenting a child to adulthood is a major commitment. I hope these girls have what it takes.