Teen Pregnancy: What Can A Parent Do?

Did you know that fully a THIRD of all girls become pregnant while they're still in their teens?  If that happens to your daughter, or if your teenaged son comes home and announces that he's going to be a father, there will be plenty of information available to help them figure out what to do; but it's going to be extremely hard for you, the parent, to find guidance about how you should react! 

Join us and meet two families who have worked their way successfully through the minefield of teen pregnancy, and listen to the advisers - including the parents - who have helped them keep their families and relationships intact.  You'll learn how to maintain the greatest possible influence over your child's decisions, you'll find out what the limits really are, and you'll wind up as prepared as you can possibly be, to handle one of the greatest child-rearing challenges you're ever likely to face.

Guests:

Amy Morris  - became pregnant at 19
Jane Daniels - Amy's mother (who had become pregnant with Amy at 19)
Deborah Williams - became pregnant at 16, and then again at 17
Juanita Richardson - Deborah's mother

Michael Bradley, Ph.D. : Licensed psychologist;  Author: Yes, Your Teen is Crazy; Winner of the William Penn Humanitarian Award; He has been working with teens for 30 years and regularly sees parents and their pregnant teens as clients.

Leslie Rottenberg, CSW: Senior Director of Social Services for Planned Parenthood New York City;  Leslie oversees social services for all three Planned Parenthood health centers in NYC, clinically supervises social workers and oversees policies and protocol.  She counsels Planned Parenthood clients (mostly teens, a few parents) and has been with the group since 1997.

Tips & Hints:

• Research from the Alan Guttmacher Institute and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy concludes that 35% of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20
• Strong emotions surrounding a teen pregnancy are normal
• Parent-teen relationships will change with a pregnancy
• With the right guidance, you can continue a loving relationship with your teen
• Both parents and teens should seek counseling during this difficult time

Resources:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

http://www.kidshealth.org/

Winnie King, M.D.