Children of Teen Moms

Liv Schaub

As the sun sets upon the horizon of the New York City skyline, the beautiful colors fade to a mystic black. Tonight is like every other night for James, a nineteen year old boy. He descends out of the apartment building with a lot on his mind. James is headed to catch up with his friends in the ally to take a couple hits and make his mind go numb. The reasoning for this? James’ life is intolerable.

His mother, Patricia, had him at the young age of only sixteen, and his father fled as soon as James was born. Patricia works two jobs and barely spends enough time with her son; not reassuring that he performs well in school or even stays out of trouble. He already repeated 9^th grade from lack of attending school and could repeat his senior year if he does not get his act together. But if only James knew that he is not alone on this rollercoaster of a life because of being the son of a teen mother.

Children of teen moms do worse in school than those born to older parents with half failing a grade. “They are 50 percent more likely to repeat a grade in school and are more likely to drop out of high school than those born to older women.” In addition, children born to teen parents are less likely to finish high school, and have a lower performance on standardized tests. “Many children born to teen moms have behavioral problems, juvenile delinquency and conflict with authority” (Phil).

As James could prove right if he keeps up his baboonish actions, the sons of teenage mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison. These children are also 22 percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves. “Since their parents may still be young and not raised in the right conditions themselves, it is said that they are unaware of the ways to discipline their children so teach them the right ways of life because they are still learning the right ways themselves” (Baldwin and Cain)

And as James turns 20, he finds himself in a hospital holding his girlfriends hand while she is giving birth to their son, Aedan. It was all a mistake though; James had been high while they had been having sex. He of course wishes that he wouldn’t have wanted his mind to go numb and been that stupid. Now, Aedan will have to live the awful teen mother life that James did. Real question, will James stay or abandon his son just like his father did?