Don't get me wrong, just because I don't necessarily want kids doesn't mean I have any sort of right to tell other people when and if they can.... I am however, entitled to have a thought process or opinion on such matters....
Early this week, on the ride home from work, I watched not one, not two, not even three teen aged mothers crawl on the bus... I saw 5 teen aged mothers cram their kids and strollers onto the front of the bus... And to answer your question, yes - they were all on the bus at the same time... It was interesting to watch them maneuver and wedge themselves all into the front quarter of the bus, but they all got on - no one was left behind for the next wagon.... The mothers, and the kids, seemed to vary in age. (I over heard one Mum ask another how old she was, and the reply was 19. Her baby, if I had to guess - was about 18 months - 2 years old.) The babies seemed to range in ages from infant (easily less than 6 months) to about 3 years old. Most of the Mums' ages ranged from maybe 16-17 to about 19. (Obviously.)
I'll give at least 4 of the Teenagers credit, they all crawled on the bus after school, I heard them talking amongst themselves about what projects they had completed and their grades etc. So I "assume" they all were getting their Grade 12 or their GED's at least. Not any of my business, but it made me feel better that they were keepin' on keepin' on and not just opting for Welfare cheques. So I think they understand now how hard it's going to be for them.
Who am I to judge? I'm sure their parents, family and friends gave them the gears. I'm sure at least one other person on the bus thought the same thing I did... "Man, I'm glad it isn't me!" To be honest, if it weren't for teenage mothers/parents, I wouldn't even be here... Mind you, that was an entirely different time with an entirely different set of rules... (Two of my grandparents, one on each side, were teenagers when their first kids arrived on the earth... In fact, one had 4 kids before turning 20. Again though, this was the early 1950's, different set of rules.) A cousin had a baby at 17/18 years old. (I think she had her kid 2 days before turning 18 or something.) A second cousin had her two boys before she was 20, making her Mum a grandparent in her mid 30's because she herself had her kids quite young.
Teenage pregnancy and parents is nothing new, it's probably been happening since the beginning of time.... It's probably going to continue until the end of time... All we can do is continue to educate the young in hopes of preventing at least one unprepared baby from having a baby of their own. Not my place to tell them what's right or wrong, I just know what's cool for me.
Some people honestly shouldn't have kids... We have rights, which include reproduction and I'm glad we don't live where there are government imposed limits as to the number of kids you are allowed to have... However, in some cases, it's unfortunate that certain people who probably shouldn't have kids, do.... I think everyone would agree that Adolph Hitler, for example, should never have kids. (Thank God he didn't!) The people who will never gonna support their kids - even after the kids are proven to be that person's kid - AKA the dead beat parent.... Probably shouldn't procreate... Ted Bundy, or people like him... Probably good idea if they don't have kids.... But these are all obvious examples, or at least to me they are, of people who shouldn't have kids... What about the person who has 5 kids by 5 different people. (Whether they be the Daddy that has 5 different Baby mama's or vice versa.) Maybe they are nice people and good parents and all, but where's the stability? What about the guy (or lady for that matter) that ditched out on the family they had and started a second one... (No I'm not talking people who got divorced and then started a new. I'm talking about the people that drop off the face of the planet, flat out refuse to help with their own kids from the first marriage - when they did stay at home with the kids they considered it "babysitting" their own kids - and now are having another kid. For example (and sorry, I don't mean to pick on men, women do this stuff too) : Woman marries man. Couple have 2 kids.... Her hubby turns out to be a douche bag... The couple divorce. Douche bag never pays child support, never comes around to help out, nothing... In other words, a dead beat Dad. Now he's got baby #3 on the way with his new "fiance". Would be castrated if I ruled the world...
It's not always about me, its none of my business so who am I to say? Just one of those social phenomena that boggles my mind....
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