If Your Child Tells You She Is Pregnant
Take a deep breath. Try not to be immediately angry or despairing. Your child needs support and information. Listen to what she has to say.
Encourage your daughter to see a doctor, family planning clinician, or counselor right away. In addition to confirming the pregnancy, these sources can help your daughter to explore all of her options.
Arm yourself with information. Get the 411 on all of the options and laws that relate to pregnancy, abortion, adoption, and parental rights. Your child is going to have to know about them.
You will have many feelings about this, so get outside help. You may want to see a counselor or therapist, too!
Making the Most of Your Parental Influence
Stay close with your kids and talk to them about your values.
Ask questions to find out how they feel about responsibility and how they define a healthy relationship.
Make sure they have all the facts—that they understand how pregnancy can occur, and that they have alternatives to abstinence should they decide to become sexually active.
Go see “Juno” (or “Waitress” or “Knocked Up”) with your children. Ask them how they would feel if a friend became pregnant.
Listen to your teens. Sometimes we don’t give them enough credit. They have a lot to teach us.
Kelly Forster, kenosha, WI 10/11/08
Kelly, Kenosha, WI 10/11/08
My 13 year old daughter just informed us that she has had sex with a boy from her school who is also 13! She snuck him into our home while we were asleep. They had unprotected sex. This is ripping our family apart. I took her to the doctor for a preg. test but the nurse said it was really inconclusive becasue it's too soon so we have to wait a couple weeks and hopefully she will get her period. She also has to be examined/tested for STD's as the young man has had sex before. Her father and I have spoken to her about sex many times as well as her counselor so she knew what the concequences could be. She also says she may do it again with him! So now we have to put her on birth control, at 13!!
She says if she is pregnant she would concider keeping the baby... I am not willing to raise another child! We do have a 26 year old single daughter who may be willing to raise it. Has anyone ever been in this situation? Would that be a good idea? Also do I let her walk around 8th grade pregnant? Should I pull her out and homeschool her? I have family in another state she could go live with until she has the baby. Her reputation is shot already as her entire school knows about it.
What's really sasd is that all the girls and boys talk about having sex. I have read it on her myspace page. I don't think most of the parents have a clue. This boys mother had no idea he was sexually active.
I would love for my daughter to spend a day with another teen mother who is trying to raise her child to see how difficult it is but I don not know how to arrange that either. Any adive would be appreciated!!
Read more comments