Today, I found out that one of my former students is pregnant. She is only in the 8th grade. That is, if she was promoted. I say that because she always missed school, which I believe is due in part to the fact that she was a struggling reader and felt out of place. In fact, she's already been retained one grade level before.
Let me tell you a little bit about her. First of all, she's gorgeous, eye-catchingly beautiful. She's a very shy girl, but at the same time, she's headstrong; she knows what she will and will not tolerate. I liked that about her. She has 5 siblings .Actually, I taught her older brother. They were very similar in looks and personality, but he was much more studious than she was. She missed a lot of school and, in my opinion, had a lenient parent.
So she's pregnant. My thoughts? What?! Why?! HOW?! I know how, but how in the world does this child end up pregnant? Why in the hell is she pregnant? She can't take care of a kid. She can't even take care of herself. I'm not sure if she even had goals/aspirations in life. She was just existing. Why is she bringing life into this world?
It's just sad that that little girl (I guess that is how I will always see her) is bringing life into this world, and she probably doesn't even understand the feat she's about to undertake. She's not ready. Hell, she's not ready to have sex. Really, what does she know about sex other than to just lay there? My heart breaks for her and her unborn little one.
Is her life over? No. However, she already has a few strikes against her - she doesn't read on grade level, she's been retained before, she's living in poverty. That's not the best situation to bring a child into.
2 comments:
So sad. Unfortunately it seems to be a cycle that can't be broken, I bet her mom had her at a young age too. Working in the pharmacy I see these girls on a daily basis,they can't follow the prompts to sign for their meds, they don't take their $4 med that medicaid won't cover because they can't afford it, how the hell will they be able to buy diapers? I blame it on the parents these days that are not involved in their kids lives... sad sad sad
You are right, Mayra, it is a cycle. But I do believe it can be broken. Not right away, but down the line. If we as adults become the respectable, responsible people that our children and teens can look up to, and help to instill self esteem into our young girls, we can help break this cycle. IMO. Thanks for reading!
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