Parenting's Effects on the Teen's Education

With over 750,000 teen pregnancies annually, the United States still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth compared to other countries. Although teen pregnancy rates have drop over several years, there are still three in every 10 teen girls that will become pregnant in the U.S. according to The National Campaign Organization (n.d). Once the teen becomes pregnant their life will change forever. If they decide to keep the baby they will start to notice changes all around them from their body to their friends and family. Once they are adjusted to becoming pregnant the next step will be ever harder, adjusting to becoming a mom. Once the baby arrives they will beginning trying to adapt to this new lifestyle as a mother, but it can be difficult to someone who is not ready to face the affects it will have on their life. Teen parenting affects many teens' social life, education, support system and health.

The Effects on their Social Life

When a teenager becomes a mother, the first thing they will notice is how a baby will affect their social life. They are not able to get up and leave to hang out with their friends whenever they want. They have to find a baby sitter or work around the baby's schedule. Their friends may also lose interest in hanging out with them because of the negative remarks going around school. Most teens view pregnant girls at their school as promiscuous (Kuckertz & McCabe, 2011). Their friends may try to avoid them so they will not be picked on too.

Going places will be a new experience for them because they will see how society looks at them for becoming a teen mom. From the dirty looks to the muttered comments, teen moms have to adjust to their new lifestyle. People, who view negative life events as controllable, are more likely to judge others who have negative things happen to them (Kuckertz & McCabe, 2011). Getting over these comments and looks from other people will be difficult but can be done. The people more likely to judge are the people that she is currently going to school with (Kuckertz & McCabe, 2011).

Parenting's Effects on the Teen's Education

Teenagers who become pregnant worry about finishing high school. "Overall, about half (51%) of teen moms have a high school diploma compared to 89% of women who didn't have a teen birth" (P. 7, The National Campaign, n.d.). When the baby arrives, the first few months they will be awakened in the middle of the night. The lack of sleep could cause them to do badly on assignments or even forget assignments, later causing them to fail the class altogether. A baby could also be a bit distracting when it comes time to concentrate on their homework. Most teenage mothers in a relationship with the father are twice as likely to drop out of school, because the men feel jealous and think that the mother will met guys at school (Eshbaugh, 2008). Education is important but will be difficult for the teen mother to achieve.

Once they graduate, few will go on to college because of the time and money it takes to finish a degree program. "Less than two percent of young teen mothers attain a college degree by age 30" (P. 7, The National Campaign, n.d.). Without grants or scholarships, teen moms can find it difficult to attend college. Time is another big reason a teenage mom does not go to college right after high school, because a full time job might be needed to help support her and the baby (The National Campaign, n.d.).

Support Emotionally and Financially

Having no money to support them, the teen mother needs all the support she can get emotionally and financially to help. Teen mothers usually do not get the support they need from family members because they do not agree at first with the situation they are in. According to Robert Coles (1997), some teens keep the baby because they feel like it will be the only person that will love them. Parents who have other children often worry about how this will affect the younger sibling. Siblings sometimes compare themselves to a pregnant sibling by thinking they are more responsible about their sexual decisions (Kuckertz & McCabe, 2011). Parents do not want the brothers or sisters thinking