Testing the Waters: The "un"planned Pregnancy of a Fifteen-Year-Old
Lang, Jessie ; McNew, E.
Synopsis "Testing the Waters: The "un"planned Pregnancy of a Fifteen-Year-Old"
Elizabeth could not put out the flame that was suddenly ignited upon completing a project for her Freshman year health class. "Over the weekend, I took care of my "baby" when it cried. I had been instructed to insert a key into its back to calm it down. This baby simulator put ideas into my head that caring for a baby would be as simple as turning a key. I quickly started to enjoy carrying the baby around with me and pretending that I was a mommy. I wanted to practice, and I wanted my doll to be real." Elizabeth had an emptiness in her life and could not understand her feelings, and why they were so powerful. Once Elizabeth was successful with her plot, she was reprimanded by her family and the community. Her nineteen-year-old boyfriend, and father of her soon-to-be baby, stayed by her side, but failed to further mature as a support system and father. Law officials did not consider that he was an adult, and having underage sex with a fourteen-year-old girl at the time of her pregnancy. This may have just saved Elizabeth from the suffering and shame that she would further encounter as a young adult. As a former teen parent, Elizabeth is boldly confessing the truth. She believes that hiding the secret of her pregnancy being intentional will only encourage this matter, which is commonly avoided by society and the media. Elizabeth hopes to encourage other former teen parents to also break their silence in an effort to re-evaluate the statics. Statistics state that out of 100 teenage pregnancies, 20 are planned. In the teenage brain, the reward system is mainly influenced by friends and peers when it comes to risk-taking. What would you do if your teens' best friend became pregnant? How would you feel if you discovered that your teen was actually trying to get pregnant? What if your teen was dating a person who was encouraging this? What if it was too late? Mental disorder in teens is also a common problem that goes unnoticed. In an effort to feel better, teens typically self-destruct with reckless behavior and abusing substances such as alcohol and drugs. What are the signs to look for? By re-living her true experience as a confused teenager wanting to quickly grow up, Elizabeth takes you into her world, and her thoughts which uncover a shocking but real question. Do we really know what is going on in the lives of our children? And what can we do to ensure their emotional and social health? I encourage you to read on. This book will capture the attention of anyone who is interested or has had experience with the following; Adoption, Fostering, teens, parents of troubled teens, troubled teenagers, foster care workers, children in the foster system, substance abuse, alcoholism, domestic abuse, domestic violence, child abuse, social workers, public defenders, teachers, educators, public health workers, community volunteers, books on teenage pregnancy, books on adoption, books on foster care, ambiguous loss, south lake tahoe, Lake Tahoe CA
