Yesterday we interviewed a young lady for our program who wants to leave the traditional school and come to us. That's not unusual, because most of our students come to us because the traditional environment doesn't meet their needs, they are not into the social scene, or they just want to focus on getting credits and they don't "do" school.
I especially like the ones who come to us and say they can't stand school because of people. And teachers. We like to say, "We are teachers. And we have people."
But I digress.
This young lady is beautiful, as is her mother. Parents don't always come to interviews, and sometimes we wish they wouldn't. This one wasn't a pain, though, so it was okay. I was thinking she was very real.
Maybe not.
The young girl is very well spoken, her grades are excellent, she's a cheerleader, she has never given her parents a moment's worth of trouble, and she's very smart. Except for one thing.
She's due in January.
I don't condemn the girl for getting pregnant. I realize it happens all the time and teenage girls think their options are limited to becoming mommies.
What disturbed me was that the mother and the girl were both dismayed when we explained to them that students don't typically come to us just for a short period and then go back to their home high schools. They stay with us all the way to graduation so we don't becoming a revolving door. The girl began to cry, and her mother said, "I just want her to go back to her high school and have a normal senior year and be able to cheer again."
Excuse me?
Has no one explained to the daughter (hell to the MOTHER?) that her definition of NORMAL has changed forever? Do we really want to encourage young mothers to return to typical high school activities like cheerleading?
I realize we can't discriminate against the girl because she got pregnant, and if she makes the squad after giving birth, I guess she has every right to cheer.
I guess what bothers me is that she WANTS to. She didn't mention childcare or health insurance or midnight feedings or children's illnesses or any of those other things that would scare the bejeezus out of me if I were having a child right now. She wants to cheer.
Sweet Girl, a million thank yous again today for not putting me in that position.
Have I officially become a fuddy-duddy? Cold-hearted? Come on, you can be honest with me.
4 comments:
Maybe she's planning on putting the baby up for adoption? That would explain the, get back to normal attitude.
I don't think you're a prude, I hear stuff like that on a show on MTV. It's called 16 and Pregnant, and almost every single girl says, "I'm just want to be a normal teenager."
Which usually have me screaming at the screen, "You're not a normal teenager, you're a mom, now act like it!"
Chances are the mother plans on taking care of the child - if the child isn't going to be put up for adoption. I actually see the girl's point-of-view. However, I find their word "normal" offensive.
Additionally, why doesn't she just stay at her regular school all the way through? Why interrupt the term by going to your school, then back to the old school? It doesn't make sense to me. When I went to school, there was a girl in my class who got pregnant. Yes, she was a cheerleader (I'm sensing a pattern here) but she stayed in our school the entire time. Once she had the baby, she put it up for adoption. There was 2 weeks when we didn't see her after the baby was born, but then she was right back at school as if nothing happened - being a cheerleader and all.
But, like Lilith, I do not believe you're a prude. Though I do not know what they intend for the child (I'm referring to the one in the womb, not the one in the cheerleader skirt), I do know the cheerleader and her mum have a serious case of denial.
So she doesn't want anyone to know she's pregnant? LOL Doesn't she realize people will figure it out when she disappears for months and then poof comes back?
We can only hope that child will be put up for adoption!
When I was in high school and a girl got pregnant they usually just stayed in school. then end. But 1 really rich and seriously conservative catholic family sent their daughter who got pregnant away. well, the "talk" was worse about that then if she would've stayed!
And I'm not going to address the attitude and normal and that stuff.
I can say I don't think you're a prude. I think you're practical and this mom and her daughter need to be as well.
Post a Comment