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Pregnancy and Pregnancy Prevention Issues
For many parents, the idea of their son or daughter being involved in an unintended pregnancy can be overwhelming. Parents are often filled with mixed emotions such as anger, eagerness, disappointment, excitement, frustration happiness, worry and concern. Many may wonder “How did this happen to my family?” or “What were they thinking?” Parents may also look forward to being a grandparent and the good times they will have with a grandchild.
While many parents look forward to the day they become grandparents, most would prefer that their own child be able to take care of themselves and support a child. Many would like their children to finish high school and maybe go to college, get a job that pays a decent wage and has benefits, and have their own home or apartment. Many would also hope that their grandchild has two supportive and prepared parents.
In the case of unintended teenage pregnancy, these goals may not be achieved or may be delayed if the teenager gives birth and is raising a child. Teens that are raising small children are less likely to finish high school, less likely to go on to college, less likely to get decent-paying full-time employment and are less likely to be able to afford to live on their own. Due to the rising costs of out-of-home childcare and other child-related expenses such as medical care, clothing, food and other necessities, many teen parents find it difficult to make ends meet.
With this in mind, parents often encourage their children to wait to become parents until they are older and more prepared for parenthood and raising children. But, in this age where we are bombarded with sexualized images, music, and other Internet content, how can you as a parent best prepare your child to hold off on becoming a parent until they are better-prepared? We’ll try to address that issue in this section and give you some tips and tools to make pregnancy prevention a priority in your household.
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