The Motherhood - Teen Moms Training - Research Paper Example

The Motherhood - Teen Moms Training Teen moms refer to young women who have not reached legal adulthood and yet they already have children. The US has recorded the highest number of teen birthrates in all the developed nations. Studies by the Robert Hood Johnson Foundation show that almost 10% of teenagers become pregnant every year in which more than half of them give birth (Gallagher, 2009). Majority of those who give birth in this category are also not married according to Rickel (1989). The studies also show that children born to teen moms will most likely experience psychological, social and health problems compared to children of older parents and they may end up being teen parents as well (Lerman, 1997). The problem of teen motherhood is one of the most pressing social issues that social workers have to deal with today according to Gallagher (2009). This is a problem that is not concentrated in one place alone as many teenagers around the world are continually finding themselves pregnant with no plan on how to carry on with life after that. Teenage mothers normally face a lot of challenges in terms of education, training and employment. Child care is one of the most demanding jobs, and in most cases, teen mothers normally find themselves unable to continue with their education in order to take care of their babies (Pillow, 2004). Most teenagers who find themselves with babies normally give up on their career dreams and ambitions and resign themselves to living a hopeless life. However, without proper formal training, it is very difficult for these young mothers to make ends meet (Harris, 1997). Skilled training is not the only kind of training that teen moms normally lack, most of them never have someone to train them on the proper way to take care of themselves and their babies (Rickel, 1989). The lack of training can be blamed on many things. Lack of support from parents and other people is one of the reasons why teen mothers normally have a hard time coping with life. Training programs for teens are also not very many and not all teen mothers have access to the training programs some of which can make a big difference to the teens (Immell, 2000). Rationale The rationale behind the training of teenage moms is based on the fact that these young mothers are at a disadvantaged position to continue with their education and get quality training. This means that they cannot get as good jobs as their peers who have formal training and this bears heavily on their lives. Many formal training institutions do not have provisions to specifically train teen mothers. This has resulted in a dilemma which has seen many girls being denied a chance at a good life through skills and educational training. Research shows that those teen moms who do not have access to proper care and education and training programs normally get involved in negative social practices such as drug taking and prostitution. According to Immell (2000), teenage mothers more likely to get into bad habits than those who are not on a ratio of 5:3 respectively. If trained properly the young mothers can learn how to take care of themselves and their children without relying too much on other people. Relevant training will also help them have a positive attitude towards life. This will go a long way in enabling them find and do things that will benefit them in the long run. This paper seeks to identify how and in what areas training can help the young teenage mother. Objective Facts in the Training Profession In many parts of the world and especially in less developed countries, childbirth usually marks the end of school going for teenage mothers. Some of the reasons behind this fact include lack of finances and the logistics that are related to simultaneous mothering and schoolings. In some cases however, it is the way schools treat teen moms that leads to their despair in continuing with their education. When for example a young girl is suspended from attending class due to her pregnancy, the embarrassment that comes with such an act bears greatly on her decision to avoid attending classes. Discrimination against such girls by the school administrations also may lead them to abandon their hopes of getting good education more so when they are perceived to be people who are bent on contaminating their innocent peers. Teen mothers are in need of training in a wide range of areas. These areas include baby care, personal care, financial management, time management, skilled training and educational training as noted by Jones & Battle (1990). Trainers involved with teenage mothers need to have their objectives and priorities right so as to ensure that the teens get all the assistance that they need. Some of the main objectives behind training teen mothers are: to help them overcome their stresses, to equip them with life skills with which they can survive wherever they are, to gain practical experience on how to care for themselves and their children. Depending on the amount of support that a teen mother gets from various sources, she may be encouraged to proceed with her education to the highest possible level (Jones & Battle, 1990). When she gets support from an educational institution for example, the young mother can discover the several options that are available the solutions that exist in respect to the challenges that she faces. Training or educational institutions have a great role to play in so far as helping teen mothers get their lives restored is concerned. Teachers of such girls must be considerate enough to ensure that they do not display any form of negative discrimination when dealing with such girls especially when they are attending regular schools. Training Styles and Techniques for Teen Moms Experts in the teaching profession acknowledge that there are different teaching styles that are effective as long as they are applied appropriately. Teaching styles incorporate the teacher’s abilities, personal preferences and the norms that go with the particular discipline that they involve in training. While some teachers prefer a teacher-centered learning environment, a learner centered approach works better when it comes to dealing with teenage mothers according to some experts. This is so because teenage mothers may have more diverse worries and issues which could easily distract them from participating in active learning. On the other hand, teachers must also appreciate that teenage mothers have different preferences when it comes to learning styles. Like many educators currently believe, teaching young mothers based on multiple intelligences as opposed to traditional logical and linguistic methods will more likely produce good results. What this means is that the mothers should be engaged in utilizing their vision, sense of hearing and engaged in practical work that will aid their memories. Young mothers below the legal usually are in need of more experienced people who can listen to them and understand their predicaments and give them caring advice on issues that affect them (Horowitz, 1996). Indeed such must be the main character of a mentor. Through mentorship, learning takes place in an informal if more relaxed environment as compared to the traditional school environment. One important technique that those involved in the training of teen mothers can successfully rely on to create a difference in their lives I counseling. Through counseling, the young girl gets to find hope in the midst of her situation. For counseling to bear fruits though, both the counselor and the person being counseled must be cooperative and open to each other. By opening up, the teen mother gets to pour out the issues that face her while the counselor helps her come up with reasonable solutions to these problems in many cases with her contributions playing a big role in the ways the problems will be solved the final analysis. Future Direction in Training Teen Moms There remains a lot to be done in the area of teen moms training. The training programs that focus of teenage mothers are slowly increasing and different healthcare and other social organizations are coming up with mechanisms to ensure that teen moms are properly trained in relevant skills to make their lives better. While very little research has been conducted with an aim of improving the learning conditions and environments of teenage moms, it is beyond doubt that the young girls need a peaceful atmosphere for their learning - an atmosphere that is devoid of discrimination of any kind and that is distracting. With technological developments being made almost daily, there is high chance that teenage mothers will have to rely on computers and computer technologies in their various training sessions to accomplish a myriad of tasks. Impact on the Training Profession The inclusion of teenage mothers on the mainstream training programs enhances the quality of training given to these girls. Training programs offer guidance and support to teen moms and promote positive outcomes and reduce negative outcomes that may befall the moms and their children (Harris, 1997). Repeated pregnancies in teens can be prevented by offering mentoring services to them. Many teen moms usually desire to complete their studies since they know that education is important as it will enable them to get the jobs they want. Training programs can help the teenagers to stay in schools by providing them with alternative education. Through proper training, teen mothers who have been challenged by the responsibility of parenting can gain back their confidence. Since teenage mothers are at a stage where they experience the integration of earlier abilities, identifications and opportunities that the society offers, they admittedly face a critical phase in their lives as noted by Horowitz (1996). Those charged with the responsibilities of educating such women must therefore understand that they are usually at great psychological risk and must therefore be treated with a lot of care. Educational institutions that care for teenage mothers should put in place policies that are aimed at preventing of mitigating the negative consequences of teenage motherhood Mothering, the school environment as well as peer pressure have a negative bearing on teen moms in their efforts to cope up with schooling. In fact, it has been shown through research that parenting and pregnancy are the main reason many girls drop out of school in many parts of the world. Bearing children at adolescence more specifically is known to be disruptive to girls’ educational process with many girls leaving and never returning to school even when they have better opportunities to do so. Teenage mothers may better be trained in settings in which they are comfortable, away from the scornful eyes of their peers such as vocational schools as noted by Zellman, Feifer, and Hirsch (1992). Traditional schools may not offer the best setting for many teenage mothers as they naturally require more flexible schedules, patient guidance and personal attention from teachers. Alternative schooling systems or programs are best suitable for such mothers as it enables them to cope up well with the challenges that are associated with pregnancy and motherhood while simultaneously getting the opportunity to make the most of their time in learning (Haskins & Sawhill, 2009). The girls should be trained to make mature decisions so that they can better be able to cope up with the emotional pressures that are commonly associated with adolescents. Conclusion Teenage mothers go through several challenges most of which are due to their inexperience and lack of formal training in child care and skilled work. Because of such challenges, they easily get into doing anti-social activities such as drug abuse and prostitution. Most of teenage mothers do not have the support they need. This lack of support is what makes most of them to drop out of school before they complete their studies. Many teens always wish to go back to school after getting pregnant, many of them simply stay away from the school environment for fear of being discriminated, scorned or ill-treated. Teen moms encounter numerous challenges in their bid to focus on their education while simultaneously having to perform their duties as parents. In order to avoid or deal with some of these challenges, many vocational institutions offer flexible working environments for these mothers. At least away from the regular school environment, teenage mothers are kept away from scorn, discrimination and numerous other ills that would otherwise befall them. In the class environment, teen moms will learn more like theirs peers in respect of the fact that people have different preferences when it comes to learning styles. One difference between teen mothers and their peers is that the former have double responsibilities that they carry with them while the latter group has mainly to worry about their schoolwork. In this respect, the mothers are quite easily distracted when in class the more reason why their teachers should use teaching styles that will focus on utilizing multiple intelligences with significant focus on the student as opposed to the teacher. Quite a lot needs to be done in ensuring that teen mothers are offered the chance to continue learning both during pregnancy and once they have delivered their babies. As they attend their lessons, their teachers should remember always the responsibilities that they have beyond being in class and therefore treat them with a lot of consideration. References Gallagher, M. (2009) The Age of Unwanted Mothers: Is Teen Pregnancy the Problem? Retrieved on 2nd September, 2010 from http://www.americanvalues.org/Teen.PDF Horowitz, R. (1996) Teen Mothers--Citizens or Dependents? University of Chicago Press: Chicago. Harris, K. M. (1997) Teen Mothers and The Revolving Welfare Door. Temple University Press. Haskins, R. and Sawhill, I. V. (2009) Creating an Opportunity Society. Brokings Institution Press. Immell, M. (2000) Teen Pregnancy. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press Jones, D. J and Battle, S. F. (1990) Teenage Pregnancy: developing strategies for change in the twenty first century. Transaction Publishers. Lerman, E. (1997) Teen Moms: The Pain and The Promise. Morning Glory Press. Pillow, S. W. (2004) Unfit subjects: educational policy and the teen mother. Routledge: New York. Rickel, A. U. (1989) Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. Hemisphere Publishing Corporation. Zellman, G., Feifer, C. and Hirsch, A. (1992) Access to and Use of Vocational Education in Teen Parent Programs. Rand. Read More