TEENAGE PREGNANCY

    Since I became a mother, I started joining support groups. It is an online community that we can talk everything under the sun. You can joke around, let off some steam regarding your marital issues, about in-laws, financial problems and especially dealing with little ones. One time, there was a mother who posted questionnaire and most of the mothers pasted their answers in the comment box. One of the questions really bothered me because the majority of the mothers who answered that question replied this:

How old did you get pregnant: 15/16/17 year old
Source of Income: None

    I don't condemn girls who got pregnant at an early age. In fact, I salute them because as the only Christian country in SoutheastAsia and a pro-life myself, most of my teenage co mothers didn't resort aborting their babies after they found out that they were pregnant.

"Ang mali ay hindi maitatama ng isa pang mali.
You cannot correct a wrong with a wrong."

    But this age, they supposed to be at least at school carrying books, not a baby in their arms. Lucky to those young mothers who were born with parents who still can afford to send them to school even after having a child. But how about parents who don't have a source of income or little income, only enough to provide food on the table​ for the family​?It is not only the teenage mom suffers but especially the parents too.

    What happens​ when the child is sick?They cant just sponge bath their baby if his body temperature is above 40 degrees. They need to go to the ​ hospital. Hospital means bills. Lucky to those who got their PhilHealth​. Insurance will cut the extra bill cost. How about others who don't​​ have? What happens when they don't​ have money to buy formula milk? I have seen mothers who still have the capacity to breastfeed their babies but chose formula milk instead. I don't​ have a ​problem with that either. The question is, can they manage to provide formula milk if young mothers don't​ have jobs? Most of my teenage co mothers posts regarding financial issues. Their partners/husbands cannot​ even provide them food and most of the time, relying on parents for support. If stressed out for being jobless and the sudden big responsibility​ at a tender age, they fight which sometimes lead to physical and verbal abuse. SAD but TRUE.

As a ​parent, what can be done to prevent and lower the rates of teenage pregnancy?

Proper guidance to our children plays a great role. Sit down and talk. Communicate. Explain what is sex and don't​ make it as a taboo subject. Let them take care of babies. In this way, it will give them the idea that having a baby is not an easy job. It takes patience, responsibility​, time and extra love too. Encourage them by talking about their goals and help them achieve it because there is a much better life waiting for them if they pursue their dreams.