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This is the by far the most difficult and controversial topic I have put on this website.
Below is an article on how a teen can tell their parents they are pregnant. The
article may help teens and parents understand how best to handle this tense and
awkward situation.
On the
Welcome page
of this website I make no excuses for being a Christian. I do not take lightly
the discussion of teen pregnancy and the abortion issue. My wife and I take a
stand against abortion. If you have never seen what an abortion does to a baby,
then you need to view the video
http://www.abortionno.org/. I warn you this video is very graphic
since it is an actual abortion being performed. I would even suggest if you have
a teenager, boy or girl, who is considering terminating a pregnancy, that they
watch this video with you.
My hope is that everyone who views this page will understand
that abortion is murder. It takes away the rights of the unborn child to LIFE,
LIBERTY and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. We all agree that when one person kills
another, they should be punished. If a child predator abducts a child and
kills them, we want that person severely punished. How is that different from
killing a child still in the womb.
One alternative to abortion is for the teen and her family
take care of the baby. Hopefully the child's father will want to be a part of
the plan. It is best when a child has both parents. However, many times the
natural father wants no part in having a child. They may even put pressure on
the girl, and her family, to have an abortion. Many children start life without
the father being a part of the child's life. If the parents and the teen girl
decide to have the child and raise it as a family, then the child has a chance
to know life and love.
Another alternative to abortion, why not put the child up for
adoption. If the teen and their family cannot care for the child, then give
him/her a chance to have a long and happy life. You may be saving the life of
the person who may cure cancer or may find any number of solutions to the the
worlds problems. Listed below are websites that deal with adoption. Take the
time to look at each one. Your child deserves the chance to live.
Also on this website is a
topic entitled,
Talking To Your Kids About Sex. I
urge parents to look at this page. It may give you some insight into how best to
address the issue of sex education for your children. Children of today have not been taught that sex is for a married man and woman. Sex is not something you try just to see if you like it. If children and teens did not have sex, there would be no need for abortions.
"Mom, Dad, I'm Pregnant."
Standing by Your Teen – No
Matter What
By Megan Potter
When the words "I'm pregnant" come out of a teen's mouth, parents are often at a
loss for what to do. They react emotionally, not logically, and the resulting
confrontations often leave the teens alone without the support of their parents
and other family members.
Your Initial Response
What should you do if your teen tells you she is pregnant?
The most important thing is to stay calm. Tracy Underwood, a licensed
psychologist at Children's Medical Center of Dallas, advises that parents
recognize the teen is likely to be frightened and confused and looking to Mom
and Dad for guidance.
As one teen told the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "I would like
it if [parents] came out and said what they meant ... The unhelpful thing is
when they start to lecture." If all else fails, ask your son or daughter to
leave you with time for yourself before you react to the shock.
When you talk to your teen, be honest about your feelings. There is no point in
chastising them or lecturing them; the damage is already done. But that doesn't
mean you can't tell your child how disappointed you are in their behavior. Being
supportive does not mean you have to be – or pretend to be – happy about the
situation. Being supportive simply means that you help them through it.
Talking to Your Teen
Now that your child is in an adult situation, you'll want to treat them like an
adult. When you talk to them, tell them why you feel the way you feel. Don't
simply insist they use a particular option; explain your reasoning for it. Your
kids may not follow your advice, but they are more likely to consider it if it
comes as advice and not as an order.
Some things you should be sure to discuss with your son or daughter include the
choices (abortion, adoption, parenting), finances, responsibility and your role
in the situation. Tell your teen what you think of each of the options available
to them, why you feel that way about each one and which option you would prefer
they choose. At the same time, offer to go with them to look into each of the
options so they can make informed decisions.
Talk to them about the financial issues, and be frank. Will your insurance cover
the medical care? Who will be responsible for covering any extra expenses that
might arise? What role will the other teen be taking in the finances? Whether
they choose to parent or not, you should be aware that there are costs involved
in all decisions, mainly medical and counseling.
"A plan needs to be generated," Underwood says. "Your plan of action should
include – among others – finding a doctor, one who preferably works with young
mothers."
Be sure to talk to your teen about what you can or will do to help out. Not all
parents are willing to take on the same role. Some feel their children should be
forced to accept the responsibility for their actions while others choose to
shield their children as much as possible. Your options range from adopting the
child yourself, allowing your child and the baby to live with you, asking them
to pay room and board or simply being a full- or part-time babysitter. Your
ethics and other more practical issues – like money and space – can be
influences in your decisions.
Tell your child why you are willing to do what you are willing to do. Then
discuss what they will have to work out. Remember they are children in an adult
situation. Offer your guidance in finding a place to live, buying groceries and
anything else for which they may need you.
What Not to Do
·
Don't accuse them of being stupid
or promiscuous – it will only cause anger and resentment.
·
Don't threaten or force them to
follow your decision. They might not do it and might not talk to you anymore if
they feel threatened.
·
Don't take it sitting down. They
need to know you care enough to be upset by it.
·
Don't kick them out. Statistics
for teen parents and children on the street are grim. You'll regret the decision
later.
·
Don't play "do what I say, not
what I do." Help your kids with your actions and your words.
·
Don't loose your temper. What's
done is done. Move on and make the most of the situation.
"Parents need to play a leading force for the child," Underwood says. "Remember,
they are still a child."
What You Can Do
While you are talking to your son or
daughter, there are other things you can be doing. Be sure to make the effort to
meet the parents of the other teen involved and to talk about the same issues
you discussed with your own teen. It may turn out that the other parents refuse
to have anything to do with the situation. But you may find by meeting with them
that you can come to agreements that will give your child and their child the
best possible futures.
Educate yourself about teen pregnancy and the options involved. Before choosing
abortion, look into the benefits and the consequences of the decision. Speak to
both doctors and organizations that advise against abortion. Take the teens to
visit adoption centers or lawyers. See if there is a way that your teen can talk
to others who have chosen adoption. Go to places that serve pregnant teens and
arrange to meet with those who have chosen to parent, and find out what they
have to say. The Internet is also a great source of information on all three
options.
Try to remain unbiased in your education. Learn everything you can and share it
with your teens. There are nine months of pregnancy in which to make a final
decision, so make sure that you have encouraged an informed decision and that
everyone is prepared to handle the possible consequences of that decision. But
remember: In the end, it is their decision, and there may be nothing you can do
to change it.
Most importantly, get counseling. Arrange for you and your spouse to speak to a
professional. If you have other children, you may want to involve them, too. Be
sure that your child is seeing some kind of counselor who will address the many
emotional issues involved in teen pregnancy. Encourage the other teen and the
teen's family to seek a counselor or to take part in some of your sessions.
"Parents need to recognize their own fear and uncertainty and to keep it in
check ... to acknowledge that it is a real thing," Underwood says.
Counseling provides a way to deal with fears and to come to grips with the
situation. You can seek a counselor or therapist who does family work. You can
turn to a local church for referral or you can ask a hospital how to contact
your local crisis pregnancy center. All centers differ somewhat, but all are
there to help pregnant teens (though some counsel others, too).
Your teen will find knowledgeable support, group events and assistance with
food, money, health and more at one of these centers. They may or may not
provide family counseling. If they do, consider taking part. Most municipalities
will have a crisis pregnancy support group or center; it's simply a matter of
locating it.
Educate Your Teen About Sex
It's never too late for sex education. The statistics aren't readily available,
but an inordinate amount of teen parents have more children before they are out
of their teen years and have a stable base. Whether this is because they have
given up hope for success or they simply have neglected to take precautions, it
remains that pregnancy doesn't always shock kids straight.
Take advantage of the new relationship this situation has fostered, and talk to
your teen about having sex. Ask whether they plan to continue to have sex. Talk
to them about contraception, what they did before and what they should be doing
now. Be open and honest and encourage them to believe that one mistake doesn't
make life a failure. Continue to be supportive of them and make it clear that
they can always come to you with questions about sex now that the issue is in
the open.
It is a devastating thing to find your teen has been irresponsible enough to get
pregnant. But it's also a devastating thing to destroy a relationship in a few
moments, or months, of anger and disappointment.
"When push comes to shove and families are not there for you, you start to feel
like a failure. Then you start to act like one," says Fremor Williams, executive
director of the Grimsby Life Centre. "That's terrible when you become a parent."
If you are supportive and open, your kids might make the right decisions and be
more likely to look forward to a bright and hopeful future. Without you, they
may be doomed to fall in among the statistics of depression, poverty, abuse,
neglect and to have children with equally dim futures. Be the best parent you
can be and stand by your teen – no matter what.
The article above was
borrowed from:
http://www.teenagerstoday.com/resources/articles/pregnant.htm
Please take the time to
visit their website for more information.
Abortion: Consider
An Alternative
One young woman, Caroline chose
to have an abortion at 17. She shared recently how every day she thinks about
the abortion and still regrets her decision. She had not given it much thought
until she got married, became pregnant again and had given birth to her baby.
The memories flowed back as she
held her beautiful daughter. She said she is haunted by the abortion and wishes
she had chosen adoption. She went on to say, “At least I would know I had given
the baby a chance. It was very selfish of me to think I would not be affected by
this later on.”
By choosing adoption rather than abortion,
you will always be comforted knowing that even though you could not provide for
your child, you did give him/her life and the opportunity to grow up in a happy,
secure home with the love of parents chosen especially for him/her by you.
To read the entire article:
http://www.pregnancyhelponline.com/pregnancy_options/abortion.html
Please
visit their website for more information:
http://www.pregnancyhelponline.com/index.html
Estimated abortion statistics
·
One baby is aborted every 26
seconds
·
137 babies are aborted every hour
·
3,304 babies are aborted every day
·
23,196 babies are aborted every
week
·
100,516 babies are aborted every
month
·
1,205,960 babies are aborted every
year
·
An estimated 50 million babies are
aborted every year worldwide
*Note:
The figures above are only estimations based on
reported abortions.
The actual numbers are probably higher since some abortions
are not reported.
Websites with videos
Abortion NO / The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
The
internet home to the most compelling anti abortion projects in existence (The
Genocide Awareness Project, The Reproductive "Choice" Campaign, ...
http://www.abortionno.org/
Silent Scream
WARNING: This video contains graphic images which some may find
disturbing. ...
To play the high-speed video clips, click on the forward arrow of the
video ...
http://www.silentscream.org/video1.htm
Abortion
Pictures and Video
See the inhumanity of abortion through post-abortion
pictures at various stages
of fetal development.
http://prolifetraining.com/Abortion-Video.htm
YouTube - anti abortion vid
Pro-life Anti-Abortion Video: Development of the Unborn Baby ·
Pro-life Anti-Abortion
Video: Development of the Unborn Baby.
04:31 From: catholichomeschool
...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biYm_pLUn5o
Videos of abortions
Watch this before you go to a doctor for abortion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXhyc0bXHh4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOny71OfD0Q
http://www.billdetucci.com/The_Hard_Truth_Abortion_Vid.php
Partial birth abortion
demonstration video
http://www.dyinglight.com/index.php/07-12-2006/partial-birth-abortion-video/
Websites on adoption
giving
a baby up for adoption
You may think that if you consider adoption for your
child, you are a cold,
... All adopted children grow up to have serious
psychological problems. ...
http://www.bethany.org/A55798/bethanyWWW.nsf/0/16133594B7B07A0285256E24005A0E61
Should I Place My Child for Adoption - Severing Rights - Giving
up ...
What are the reasons for
and against placing a child for adoption? What are the
pros and cons to adoption? Are there resources available to help an
...
http://www.adoption.about.com/od/placingachild/i/adoptionoption.htm
Adoption,
Not Abortion - People Who Were Adopted Speak Out
I think that giving up your child takes incredible bravery
and love and I ...
They were both in college and gave me up for adoption as they had no
means of ...
http://www.gargaro.com/adoptedkids.html
How do you give a child up for adoption? | Answerbag.com
Giving up
a child for adoption must be a heart-wrenching difficult thing to
do
and this post doesn't speak to those issues. There...
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/54725
Putting Your Child Up for Adoption -
Associated Content
Dec 23, 2006 ... After
giving this careful thought, there are several ways you can go about putting
your child up for adoption. Putting Your Child Up For ...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/105366/putting_your_child_up_for_adoption.html
What happens when you give a
child up for
adoption
Jan 29,
2005 ... Women don't realize how gratifying it can be to give a child
up for adoption
rather than buy into Planned Parenthood's abortion plan. ...
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/shroder/050129
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Just when
you think you’ve seen and heard it all, you hear a story and see a photo like
the one below. I hope this touches all of you as much as it touched me. This is
more proof that abortions and partial birth abortions kill innocent lives.
A
picture began circulating in November. It should be 'The Picture of the Year,'
or perhaps, 'Picture of the Decade.' It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained
a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.
The
picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who
is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner.
The
baby was diagnosed with spinal bifida and would not survive if removed from his
mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in
Atlanta. She
knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at
Vanderbilt
University
Medical
Center in
Nashville, he
performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During
the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small
incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel,
the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision
and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that
when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and
that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.
The
photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled
the picture, 'Hand of Hope.' The text explaining the picture begins, ’The tiny
hand of 21-week- old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's
uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for
the gift of life.'
Little Samuel's mother
said they 'wept for days' when they saw the picture. She said, 'The photo
reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little
person.' Samuel was born in perfect health; the operation was 100 percent
successful.