My blood was boiling last night whilst I watched a programme on Channel 4 called The Hospital. The episode was about the rising number of teenage pregnancies and the cost incurred by the NHS. Some of the girls planned to get pregnant, most no longer with the dad of their baby (what a surprise). Some said having a baby would mean they have someone love and the baby would love them back. What a sad reason. So these girls feel unloved? At the age of 14 most kids rebel against authority figures, they say they hate them and that they don't love them, boo bloody hoo! So not a reason to go and get pregnant! I was 18 when I had my son, I thought that was young enough. These girls standing there puffing away on a fag, getting excited because they are moving into their council house and are going to have a cute little baby- they are blinded to the reality. When they finally grow up and realise that having a baby means hard work for the rest of your life, it will be too late. Some of them will probably a mom of 4 or 5 kids by the time they reach 20. Living on benefits, expecting everything to be handed to them on a silver plate, no ambition and no self respect. In some ways I feel sorry for young girls like this, to be so naive and immature to think having a baby will solve any problems they think they might have. More so, I feel sorry for the babies that these girls are bringing into this world, I don't begrudge anyone who wants to have a child, but surely it would be better if you are in a loving relationship and earning money instead of relying on a fumble behind the bike shed at school, what a thing to tell your child when they grow up, wouldn't they be proud! There were 46,000 teenage pregnancies in the UK last year, these figures are rising. The cost to the NHS is emense, as long as the government keep dishing out benefits and council houses left right and centre, then these teens will continue to pop out sprogs because they think this is the key to an easy life.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-hospital/episode-guide/series-1/episode-2
I absolutely agree with everything in this post. I don't think many of these girls realise how much responsibility they take on when they become a parent. I'm 20 yet I would be petrified at the thought of how much my life would change as a father and therefore have the utmost respect for parents like Zoe who are able to provide for their children and put them first in their life.
ReplyDeleteThese girls cannot possibly be able to provide a suitable upbringing for their child as at 14, they are still children themselves and cannot provide the time and money a baby needs. As Zoe mentions, they should have more ambition than looking for a life of claiming benefits and their baby will likely have to keep switching between their parents who will probably have seperated. I find it frustrating when young couples have a baby after being together for such a short period of time because this does not necessarily guarantee they will stay together. And as someone whos parents are divorced, I can assure you that it is no fun for the kids at all!
They seem to be too keen to grow up too soon, and I would guess that many of these girls will regret it when they look back on the years of their childhood they lost, later on in life. There are many young people who are more than capable of being excellent parents and this does not relate to them at all but sadly there are also too many kids who just want a real-life doll and take the responsibility of being a parent way too lightly.