2008 Woodie Awards
Pregnant teens need stability, school support
Elizabeth Miller
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: OpEd Page
I never thought that a wise cracking movie about a knocked up teen would become the inspiration for a column, but after seeing the movie Juno, I was reminded of this prominent issue that still needs attention.
The movie Juno tells the story of a pregnant 16-year-old that gives her baby up for adoption after first considering abortion. The dilemma of teen pregnancy has been a problem for years, and a new option for teen mothers is now being discussed. The Denver Post recently reported that students at a Denver high school are requesting at least four weeks of maternity leave to care for their newborn babies. A mix of responses has resulted-everything from support to downright outrage.
Currently, many teen mothers are often expected to return to school shortly after delivering their babies. This does not allow adequate time for physical and emotional recovery, let alone the essential bonding time with their babies. Childbirth is traumatizing enough, not to mention the havoc it wreaks on a teenager. Women in the work force aren't expected to return to an eight-hour workday after delivery, and for good reason. I can only imagine a 16-year-old trying to sit through geometry class just days after delivering a baby: her young body still traumatized and her emotions still racing. Suddenly calculating the area of a pyramid doesn't seem very important when there's a newborn at home and her body is out of sync. She must be given the time to recuperate and the chance to complete her education.
Many schools do not have policies for teen mother absences, though evening classes and special programs are often provided. But many teen moms don't want to leave their current school, or delay graduation-they don't want to be forced into alternative education. You could argue that when a teen becomes pregnant she has then forfeited her privilege to have a "normal" teenage life, but providing options that allow the mother's life to remain normal may be beneficial to the futures of both the mother and the child.
The movie Juno tells the story of a pregnant 16-year-old that gives her baby up for adoption after first considering abortion. The dilemma of teen pregnancy has been a problem for years, and a new option for teen mothers is now being discussed. The Denver Post recently reported that students at a Denver high school are requesting at least four weeks of maternity leave to care for their newborn babies. A mix of responses has resulted-everything from support to downright outrage.
Currently, many teen mothers are often expected to return to school shortly after delivering their babies. This does not allow adequate time for physical and emotional recovery, let alone the essential bonding time with their babies. Childbirth is traumatizing enough, not to mention the havoc it wreaks on a teenager. Women in the work force aren't expected to return to an eight-hour workday after delivery, and for good reason. I can only imagine a 16-year-old trying to sit through geometry class just days after delivering a baby: her young body still traumatized and her emotions still racing. Suddenly calculating the area of a pyramid doesn't seem very important when there's a newborn at home and her body is out of sync. She must be given the time to recuperate and the chance to complete her education.
Many schools do not have policies for teen mother absences, though evening classes and special programs are often provided. But many teen moms don't want to leave their current school, or delay graduation-they don't want to be forced into alternative education. You could argue that when a teen becomes pregnant she has then forfeited her privilege to have a "normal" teenage life, but providing options that allow the mother's life to remain normal may be beneficial to the futures of both the mother and the child.
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