Wednesday, December 19, 2007

She is not an awful person

By now, everyone has head that Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant at 16. This does not make her an awful person, or a potentially bad parent in the end. It makes her a 16 year old who made a REALLY bad choice. Yes, she is in the public eye, and yes she will pay the professional consequences of her actions. But this happens everyday around the country, and no one gets appalled when a 16 year old from Ohio gets pregnant, except her family.

Again, this does not make her an awful person, just not the role-model we want for young girls. Zoey 101 will not be allowed to play in my house any longer because I have a young girl who doesn't need to grow up that fast. While they have the next season of Zoey 101 already done, that doesn't excuse it.

In today's society it is common place for teens of her age to become pregnant. Even 12 years ago it wasn't this common, there weren't as many pregnant teens, and young mothers. It scares me to think of my daughter growing up in the time where this is considered normal. I know how things were when I was 16, and it is many times worse now.

Working to protect my child from this is the main worry I have. The conversations, being open about such a sensitive subject is something that all parents face, however it never gets any easier. From the first "Where do babies come from?" question, to the "big talk" parents dread this conversation, and the questions that follow. It is just as scary, and important as the drug and alcohol conversation.

Being honest and open is the most important thing to remember. Children and Teens are going to question you, asking why and how. They want as much knowledge as possible. They want to do what is right, but can't without the knowledge. Please remember that even the best of kids makes bad choices and won't always be honest about it.

I can only hope that the Spears family takes a look at the situation and continues to support Jamie Lynn. She has made a very hard decision, and I respect her for that. Hopefully she will take her families support and run with it, not away from it.

2 comments:

Queen B said...

Doesn't your heart just break for her? It is, of course, something that could happen to any family. I think it shows how important it is to pray for our girls and help them learn how to think through decisions that they will be faced with. I agree with you on Zoey 101--it doesn't change the show, but it shows my daughter that we are making a choice and that there are consequences to actions.

Tara R. said...

I agree on the Zoey 101 decision... it sends your own message to your daughter about your feelings on the subject.