Joseph Young Blog

My dad retired from teaching in the early 90's and it was not uncommon to have multiple pregnant girls in his 6th grade class. That's 11 or 12 years old, maybe even as young as 10 at conception.

I agree, jeepers4559. Heaven forbid we affect their self esteem. That's what's wrong with half the kids out there today, no one every told them "NO". They were given smiles and praise which is good when called for, not when they flunk the test and are told something like "I am so proud of you for taking the test, and you spelled your name correctly. I'm going to give you a B "
When I was 15, a boy I knew got a girl pregnant, they were both 15. That was back in 1969, they were married a week later, his father told them they could live with him until the day after they graduated from high school. IF they stayed in school, if they did not, they would have to move out the day they quit school. He told his son that he WOULD be getting a job when he turned 16, and he WOULD pay rent and some portion of any other bills incurred by them. Both of them stayed in school, graduated and moved out the day after graduation. His father had put all the money that they had paid in rent and for the bills into an account for them and gave it to them the day they moved. It was quite a bit of money, and it was a surprise to them. They are still together, (had a few rough years, but worked them out) and had 2 more children later on. My friend told me he always appreciated how his father handled everything. He learned well that there are consequences to all actions.
I think we have somehow forgotten, or lost the ability to teach our young girls to respect themselves, and our young men how to be men, and to respect themselves and the young girls.