It is more than appears, you obviously have issues you still deal with. Perhaps posting on here helps? You will see not all young mothers are irresponsible or druggies. I would also think those that are aren't on POF.

You must have quite the doctorate to have the ability to psychoanalyze via forum posts.

I am not promoting getting pregnant so young but I would like to say I finished high school I have a good career, my own house which I own, a car which i own and my daughter has enough love if it were coming from 20 parents. Just because your parents didn't do the best they could doesn't mean everyone else is doing exactly what your parents did. I might add that I have not gotten any help with any of my bills from anyone not family or the government. And just cause you had a miscarriage doesn't give you the right to tell ANYONE what they should do with there lives if they get pregnant young. Things happen and mature people deal with it as it comes. Yeah when I got pregnant I knew I was young but then I grew up real fast. I finished school got into the career I absolutely love, I can afford my house and my car without anyone's help, yes there are people out there who cant do it, emotionally or financially, they should think again about what they are going to do. But you saying that anyone between 18 and 20 having kids is horrible (not your words but that what i get out of what your post's say) is not true, some people have the strength to deal with it and some idiots just cant figure out what end is up and what end is down. Your opinion is YOURS alone!!! Us single or young mothers ( or used to be single or young mothers) ROCK!!! It shows we can do whatever we want and be awesome parents. Oh and yes I am single mother... Any other s#*t you want to throw at me saying young or single mothers are bad and shouldn't have kids (again not your words but again its my interpretation of what your saying). Again... YOUR opinion is your alone. My opinion is MINE alone. Everyone is allowed to have there opinion and should not be put into question as to what age should people have kids.

It shows we can do whatever we want and be awesome parents.

you truly believe that your child is getting the same home as a married couple who waited to have children until they were ready.

Well, that says lots for ALL the single parents today who did wait until they were ready to have children in a supposedly stable relationship that for one reason or another failed.

I'm mature enough to know that, are you?

Thank you for recognizing my educational experience, ability to utilize it, and recognition that I have compassion for everyone as we all make mistakes and are humans. It is what we learn from mistakes and hardships that makes the difference in our lives. I enjoy living my life and know that I also look forward to the future. I have found that appreciating the difference in others is certainly better than knocking others. We all have our faults.

Again, I am a bit surprised at the number on welfare, I don't see these people. Talking on this thread won't do anything.

So to those who have done well with your lives and your child's, great job. Best of luck

Btw, teen pregnancy in US is twice higher than UK or Canada and eight times higher than Spain. Those three countries, incidentally, have universal health care.

I am not promoting getting pregnant so young but I would like to say I finished high school I have a good career, my own house which I own, a car which i own and my daughter has enough love if it were coming from 20 parents. Just because your parents didn't do the best they could doesn't mean everyone else is doing exactly what your parents did.

I might add that I have not gotten any help with any of my bills from anyone not family or the government.

And just cause you had a miscarriage doesn't give you the right to tell ANYONE what they should do with there lives if they get pregnant young.

Things happen and mature people deal with it as it comes.

Yeah when I got pregnant I knew I was young but then I grew up real fast. I finished school got into the career I absolutely love, I can afford my house and my car without anyone's help, yes there are people out there who cant do it, emotionally or financially, they should think again about what they are going to do. But you saying that anyone between 18 and 20 having kids is horrible (not your words but that what i get out of what your post's say) is not true, some people have the strength to deal with it and some idiots just cant figure out what end is up and what end is down. Your opinion is YOURS alone!!! Us single or young mothers ( or used to be single or young mothers) ROCK!!! It shows we can do whatever we want and be awesome parents. Oh and yes I am single mother... Any other s#*t you want to throw at me saying young or single mothers are bad and shouldn't have kids (again not your words but again its my interpretation of what your saying). Again... YOUR opinion is your alone. My opinion is MINE alone. Everyone is allowed to have there opinion and should not be put into question as to what age should people have kids.

I made huge mistakes, and no matter how much anybody could have preached to me, I probably would have made the same mistakes. I don't need to lament to people how much I screwed up, my kids are loved and well provided for.

anyways, I will leave you to your rant..bash away

Ref msg # 58.-

You and your line of thinking, as I understood promoting teenage pregnancy, is wrong.
I would promote prevention instead of abortion -which is not, btw, a form of birth control- but, upon the outcome of childbirth without the completed physical and emotional development from the adolescence stages, without the social preparation for a self reliable life, without the financial resources guaranteed for providing the safeguard for the unborn, regardless being together with the father or not... yes, I would support abortion and/or adoption.

Futhermore, I would propose a re-evaluation of the right to free speech as considering the prudence for silence as valued stance if there is nothing useful to say instead to promote a negative idea that is sustained by ignorance rather than knowledge about the socialeconomical repercusion of an issue that is recognized -among other factors- as a rooted repetitive cycle.

Teenage pregnancy, by definition, is all pregnancy of an underage. It can be called adolescence, late puberty, late childhood, early adulthood... whatever... the word womanhood, in daily speeches is never used.
The word 'woman', or 'man' for this matter, as a distinction and for a reason, reserved for the legal age to be considered an adult and, unfortunally, confused with the legal age to fuk. Children, it doesn't matter how grown up, shouldn't have children.
After all, a good definition for teenage pregnancy is two irresponsable children playing adulthood.

Secondly the question was not about "teen" pregnacy. It was about whether an adult woman 18-20 could handle being a parent. A question posed by a man that has no childern of his own. Is it difficult for a girl still in high school to handle the responsiblity of a child? Sure, but that is not who we should be talking about. Most 18 y.o. women have completed, or will soon complete high school, therefore have a step up over their younger peers. That fact alone changes the scope of this debate. They can enter into contracts, vote, etc.

The question did not say if the father was in the picture or not. That is merely an assumption that people are making. A dad being involved does not mean that he is living with her. It did not state if she was staying on her own, living off assistance, etc. There are a lot of assumptions being made here. In general if a grown woman thinks she can handle a child who the hell are we to tell her she can't.

Nobody is questioning your love or ability to provide for your children. That is a far cry from saying a single parent household isn't the same as a two-parent household, or that a 30 year old is better prepared to have a child than a teen.

Teenage pregnancy, by definition, is all pregnancy of an underage. It can be called adolescence, late puberty, late childhood, early adulthood... whatever... the word womanhood, in daily speeches is never used.
The word 'woman', or 'man' for this matter, as a distinction and for a reason, reserved for the legal age to be considered an adult and, unfortunally, confused with the legal age to fuk. Children, it doesn't matter how grown up, shouldn't have children.
After all, a good definition for teenage pregnancy is two irresponsable children playing adulthood.

Futhermore, I would propose a re-evaluation of the right to free speech as considering the prudence for silence as valued stance if there is nothing useful to say instead to promote a negative idea that is sustained by ignorance rather than knowledge about the socialeconomical repercusion of an issue that is recognized -among other factors- as a rooted repetitive cycle.

But they cannot consume alcohol or rent a vehicle. By all means, they're ready for parenthood

18 and 19 year olds are generally more interested in themselves, which we see in many threads talking about how much they want to go out, or worse that they do, or they have parties at their houses while their kids are asleep.

Women say things like, "Well, [I'm here*] and they're asleep, what's the harm?" Is a drunk parent going to be able to drive their child to the E.R. if something happens during the night? Or what if someone starts a fire? The fact that SO MANY young mothers don't even think like a mature adult, let alone a mature parent should indicate that teenagers are not ready to have children.

A dad being involved is not the same as the dad coming home every night.

*or just "they're asleep" if they leave the child to go out.

That is a red herring. It is just poor parenting. Where is your experience or proof that the majority of 18 y.o. mothers. I can show you older mothers that do the same thing. I had a 30 y.o. (single mother) neighbor that did just as you described. Again that has nothing to do with age, but being a fit parent.

Really a dad being involved is not the same as comming home every night. I take issue with that. That boils down the the level of involvement. Being present has nothing to do with living with someone!

Thank you for recognizing my educational experience, ability to utilize it, and recognition that I have compassion for everyone as we all make mistakes and are humans. It is what we learn from mistakes and hardships that makes the difference in our lives. I enjoy living my life and know that I also look forward to the future. I have found that appreciating the difference in others is certainly better than knocking others. We all have our faults.

I didn't assume you would agree with me. Level of involvement is automatically decreased by absence. That's just simple arithmetic.

These kids, 13-19, are teenagers. They want to do what teens want to do. Most of them want to go to college, or will have to now to get a decent job. Being a parent is more than just providing food and shelter. Especially during the early years of birth through preschool. Yes, I know that some, have given up their teen years, or their early adulthood to be good parents. I am not putting down that fact. Why should anyone WANT or HAVE to do that? And most do not. Some lie and say they do, and then I witness the truth. They want to experience the age they are as their peers are, and most of them choose to do that at least part of the time, including going to college.