During that last class period we were lectured on teen fatherhood. To me teen fatherhood is not a common phrase the one would really hear about. It almost seems taboo for people to speak about teen fatherhood. This is because father is mostly ignored or assumed to be absent. But the only way to change the opinions of others on teen fathers is to step into their shoes and understand not from the mother's point of view but form the father’s point of view. I can say that I am guilty of assuming that most teen fathers are not a part of their children's lives because of the stereotype that society has placed on them. But then i had to sit and think that how can these teen fathers be a part of this when most of the teen mothers live at home with their families. Present within the Teen Mom episode of Markai, her mother did not allow the child's father to be around to help Markai with the baby. This was an example of how the teen father was not allowed to help and do his fatherly duties.
I have found this article that may reinforce the lecture about teen fatherhood. This article talked about how the teen father is seen in a negative light because people assume that the situation between him and the mother was a "hit it and quit it" scenario. But in some cases it is totally the opposite. This article also talks about how the mother is not the only one that has to give up everything to take care of the baby, the father does also. Not only do they have to stop their lives to help with the child, they have to provide for the child and the mother. The guy goes from one mouth to feed to three mouths to feed. This article helped me to see the teen father’s point of view and I hope that it would change your opinion also.
-India M.
Going along with the lectures from this week, I believe there are a number of reasons for the negative image of teen fathers. I feel one reason for this is that one bad teen father gives all teen fathers a bad image. This weeks lectures also brought to my attention the stereotypical image teen boys feel they have to meet when not only being a teen but a father as well.
ReplyDeleteKristi H.
I wish i would have waited to get more of the information that Jennifer brought to our class on Weds. When she spoke about when guys steer away from their masculinity and others around them make them feel like they are not living up to the standards of being a man. I can also say that this guys seem to be easily persuaded by others around them.
ReplyDelete-India M.
I think the idea of a singular family unit is also something that is worth discussing when we are talking about teen mothers and fathers. It's iteresting that in the US a family is individual rather than being communal. I believe that the individual family language is so pervasive in our language we use to discuss teen pregnancies, and we forget that there are hardly any resources for teen parents, no matter what the gender. But also that this language disproportianitally affects teen mothers rather than teen fathers, due to the fact that women are often viewed as the care givers and are ultimitally considered responsible for the child. This hurts both the mother and the father. Instead of viewing the family as a unit removed from community, we should begin viewing family as community, and start social programs that aid mother and fathers in raising thier children.
ReplyDelete-Brittany W.
I feel that it is really sad and almost disgraceful how society automatically disconnects the father from the child; as if he had nothing to do within the process of making it. However, the role of the father in the child's life is completely up to him. A lot of teen fathers view fatherhood as an "option," as if he has the choice of whether or not he want to take on the responsibility. Although, there are a lot of good fathers out there, who actually want to be apart of their childs lives.
ReplyDeleteI wish all men were like that.
-Portia K
Everyone has made really great comments this week. I really like Brittany's view of parenthood programs for young teens. A lot of what I heard on Wednesday was that there is no precedent or standard for these teenage fathers to model themselves after. If these programs existed on a mass scale, maybe even made mandatory (similar to how many churches require marraige counseling before they can proceed with a ceremony). Then not only would there be more involvement from conception by the fathers, but some base knowledge that will help them through being teen parents.
ReplyDelete-Megan Z