Search Results for: teen pregnancy

Why Is Bristol Palin Still Relevant?

January 28, 2011 · by Tara ·

Updated at 12:20 p.m.*

Let me say right off the bat that I think MORE teen moms need to be offered speaking gigs to share their story.

Instead of being pushed to the shadows, teen moms could help change the public perception that all teen moms are stupid, promiscuous brats who have ruined their lives and that of their offspring. Of all the teen moms I know, I’ve been nothing but awe-struck by the strides they’ve been able to make in such a short amount of time.

So, that said – I don’t begrudge the fact that Bristol Palin is making a bunch of money from speaking engagements.

In her latest engagement, she’ll be at Washington University for its Sexual Responsibility Week (what a great idea). Also on the panel will be representatives from Planned Parenthood and Catholic Student Center (sounds like it could get ugly). The purpose of the week is to expose students to a “variety of activities to provoke dialogue about safer sex.”

Bristol got pregnant at 17 with her high school boyfriend Levi Johnston. The couple split up when their son was three months old. After a brief reconciliation last year (like so brief that if you sneezed you missed it), they’ve gone their separate ways and Bristol has continued to be in our faces whether or not we like it or care about her. Dancing With The Stars, an appearance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and a continuous presence as an ambassador for the Candie’s Foundation.

From the Candie’s Foundation website:

Bristol plays an important role by helping other teens understand the incredible challenges teen parents face, and encouraging them to wait until they are socially and financially independent to start their families.

Ok, I can see that (although what does it mean to be “socially independent”?). Wait until you’re ready. Gotcha.

What I don’t understand is how her 15 minutes of fame have suddenly ballooned into 2+years? What has Bristol actually said or done that is changing the way people view teen pregnancy or the support of programs that do so?

Bristol talked about her work in an Facebook note to Keith Olbermann (former MSNBC personality) who called her speaking engagements ridiculous:

“Mr. Olbermann fails to understand that in order to have credibility as a spokesperson, it sometimes takes a person who has made mistakes. Parents warn their children about the mistakes they made so they are not repeated. Former gang members travel to schools to educate teenagers about the risks of gang life. Recovered addicts lecture to others about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse. And yes, a teen mother talks about the benefits of preventing teen pregnancy. I have never claimed to be perfect. If that makes me the “worst person in the world” to Mr. Olbermann, then I must apologize for not being absolutely faultless like he undoubtedly must be.

I admire her passion and taking the spotlight and running with it, but what are these organizations getting when they shell out $15,000-$30,000 per appearance? Besides increased publicity and/or turnout?

Take this clip from The View when Bristol appeared last May. When Sherri Shepard asked her a (kinda silly) question about how she planned to stay abstinent until she was married, her answer was weak at best (forward to :35 mark):

You’re going to abstain from sex for years and years and years because….you’re a single mom? Her logic doesn’t hold water when you look at the rates of repeat pregnancy among teens – 25% will have a second child within 24 months of the first. That points to the fact that even if you’ve been down that road, even if you KNOW what the consequences of unplanned pregnancy are, it is still not easy to resist the temptation. We need a new approach here.

*It turns out the student body at Washington University had the same qualms I did and so Bristol is being replaced by Dr. Katie Plax, head of adolescent medicine and associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine. She is also medical director of The SPOT, a teen health center at Washington University Medical Center. Sounds like a much better deal for students.

So someone explain it to me. Besides the Palin name – what else are you getting?

Filed Under: Media Mentions · Tagged: Teen Pregnancy, Young Moms In The Media

Four Reasons Why Being a Young Mom Rocks

November 23, 2010 · by Tara ·

Looking at the average teen pregnancy prevention ad, you might think these young girls (always girls, never directed at the teen boys) were headed to death row. In trying hard not to glamorize the issue, organizations all too often slide to the extreme and make the general assumption that teen parents as irresponsible, immature and selfish.

Let’s be clear – some ARE irresponsible, immature, and selfish. I mean, we’re talking about teens here. They’ve still got some growing up to do. But some teens and young adults become parents and their life begins anew. They are dedicated to their kids and they devote their lives to them. They do not deserve the ridicule and shame projected upon them.

The reality is that it’s not all gloom and doom, people! Contrary to what you see in the media, being a younger mother has its benefits that – shh! – you’re not supposed to mention for fear that you’re perpetuating the cycle.

I actually like being a young mom and have a couple of reasons why:

1. I have more credibility among my peers. It’s funny how women older than me still look down on me (and I’m almost 25!), but my friends my age think I am the second coming of Jesus because I can change a diaper with one hand and burp a baby with the other. If I were, say, 35, would it really be that impressive? They’d all have newborns too.

2. I’m eligible for “early probation.” I joke with my sister that becoming a mom is like being hit with an 18-to-life prison sentence, with no chance of probation. But both my kids will be out my house by the time I’m 41. That means I’ll be able walk around the house naked if I’d like or turn the
kids’ room into a library. Oh, the possibilities.

3. Heck, I’m still growing up. I was just a kid myself, like, yesterday. At times, I forget I’m someone’s mother because I so often still see myself as “Marilyn’s daughter.” But I still vividly remember the frustrations of not being able to communicate openly with my mom and how I felt when she misunderstood me. I hope I can avoid those potholes with my kids.

4. Avoided a lot of career interruptions. I had my kids before I really had a career, so I didn’t have to worry about future employers hassling me about maternity leave.

Is being a young mother hard? Of course. Do I want my daughter to become a mom at 17, 18? Nope. But if she did, I’d want to support her decision and show her that her life can be as fulfilling and joyful as she can make it. I am happy living the life that has unfolded before me and I make the most of it every single day.

Originally posted at The Pushback on 11.22.10.

Filed Under: Quit stressin', The big picture, Weekly Inspiration ·

The Sacrificies Young Mothers Make

July 30, 2010 · by Tara ·

You remember I write for the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy, right? We (me and a group of other fabulous bloggers) write about issues that impact young parents. If you haven’t checked it out yet, I strongly recommend you do!

Natasha always writes great posts and this one from July 19 really stuck out to me. Sounds like something I would have written!

There are a lot of things I have never experienced and never will because I decided to become a young parent. These include: no dorm rooms, no campus life, no spontaneous wild nights, no partying at my house, and no random road trips.

Honestly, the word “spontaneous” completely changes after becoming a mother. Spontaneous may be a decision to drive to an apple orchard or the zoo tomorrow. Maybe, spontaneous is when I open the freezer and pull out ice cream sandwiches!

However, for the first few months, I lived vicariously through my friends’ adventures as I sat at home breastfeeding. Slowly, it occurred to me that these adventures were not as thrilling to me as I expected. All the things I was sacrificing, started to look less great. I enjoy being a mommy.

Nevertheless, young mothers do make sacrifices that are frequently overlooked. We give up all the things people say adolescents should experience before entering adulthood, so we can be better moms – the new generation of moms.

Check out the rest of the post here.

Filed Under: Mom to Mom, Uncategorized ·

Forever 21 Launches Maternity Line…And I Yawn

July 23, 2010 · by Tara ·

When I was pregnant, I ended up buying a ton of clothes from Forever 21 because they were cheap, the empire-waist was the trend at the time, and I didn’t have to worry about spending a ton of money to get my clothes over my belly.

? This dress right here? Forever 21. 10 bucks. Wore it throughout my pregnancy and then after. (This picture was taken after. On my honeymoon. Six months after my daughter was born. I was still breastfeeding. Yeah, AWKWARD. I’ll have to write about that some other time.)

So I do understand how young women, who might not have the money to spend $70 on maternity jeans, might need more options when they get pregnant.

Here comes Forever 21 with its maternity line, Love 21. When I tell you people are pissed, they are PISSED. They think a store that caters to teens should be ashamed of itself (can a business be ashamed?), that selling maternity clothes promotes teen pregnancy and makes it “normal.”

While I can see that point (Pregnant Teen and Non-Pregnant Teen can shop at the same store together! Yay!) , I don’t think it promotes teen pregnancy. Can clothes actually do that? Unless they’re selling shirts that say, “So glad I got knocked up!” on the front, I don’t understand the correlation.

Check out this post to see what I mean:

Forever 21 is glamorizing teenage pregnancy by normalizing it. If you’re pregnant you can dress just like your friends! You can be pregnant AND fashionable! While it is obviously wrong to ostracize someone for becoming pregnant, it is even worse to actively encourage teenage pregnancy, and for Forever 21 to do so just to turn a profit is irresponsible.

What do you think? Is it wrong for Forever 21 to sell maternity clothes? Or do pregnant (young women, not just teens) need a place to buy affordable maternity clothes just like anyone else?

Filed Under: Beauty + Fashion, No mom jeans ·

Making Moves At Work

June 2, 2010 · by Tara ·

As if I need one more thing to do, I added one more writing gig to my plate.

I’m now a blogger at the PushBack, a really cool blog by the Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy. Don’t be turned off by the “Massachusetts.” It’s dedicated to increasing opportunities for teen (young) parents everywhere, something I can definitely get behind.

My first post is up on the site, debating whether young mothers can be successful career women (you already know where I stand). Here’s a snippet:

I came home from work last week and was excited to find the latest issue of Working Mother magazine in my mailbox. I like curling up with the magazine after a long day at work, flipping through the pages to find tips to help me balance my work life with everything else I do.

I rush through my evening and put my kids to bed. I plop onto my bed and start reading.

An article titled, “Secrets of Powerful Women,” catches my eye. Eleven moms are profiled, giving quick little anecdotes of how they made it to where they are.

Now, of course all the women featured are over 40 or close to it. I can expect that. Working Mother caters to a certain demographic – the average reader is 39 years old. But most of these moms had their kids in their mid-to-late 30s. So what kind of message does that send, especially as the average age of the first-time mom still hovers around 25? Will you only have a successful career if you spend your 20s childfree?

Continue reading…

If you could leave a comment over there, it would be much appreciated

Filed Under: Uncategorized ·