Chapter 4 Lesson 2

Becoming a Parent

You’ll Learn To• Identify reasons why people have children.

• Describe the role and responsibilities of parents in promoting healthy families.

• Evaluate the effects of family relationships on physical, mental/emotional, and social health.

• Analyze the importance and benefits of abstinence.

Raising children can be the most rewarding and enriching aspects of marriage. Couples who face

the many challenges of parenting feel great joy and love as they watch their children develop.

Many married couples find that building a healthy, happy family

together is an important, fulfilling, life experience.

Why People Have Children

• Pass on the family name Hereditary-genetic characteristics

passed from parent to child.• Give one’s parents a grandchild

• Wanting to be loved by someone

• Giving into pressure from friends or • parents• Bringing stability to a shaky

marriage

Why People Have Childrencontinued..

• The only truly good reason to bring a child into the world is a readiness to raise a family and share the love of the marriage.

Parental Responsibilities• Providing care,

support and love in a way that leads to a child’s total development.

• Providing the basic physical needs of the child (food, clothing, shelter and medical care)

Parental Responsibilities continued…

• Meeting their child’s developmental & emotional needs

• Ensuring that the child is loved unconditionally & receives the proper nurturing and education to prosper later in life.

• Give guidance-help them understand right from wrong

Parental Responsibilities continued…

• Help them set limits & provide guidance• Help them become self-directed &

capable of accepting responsibility for their actions.

• Parents strive to give their children a loving, safe, & supportive environment in which they can grow into responsible, healthy, happy, independent people.

Teen Parenthood• Parenting is

demanding & full of challenges and they are even greater for teens.

• The reason most teens give for wanting to have a baby is to have someone to love them.

Teen Parenthood continued…• Teens are not

prepared to handle the demands and responsibilities of raising a child.

• Most teens find the reality of raising a baby to be overwhelming.

Teen Parenthood continued…• For most teens,

having a baby is NOT a conscious decision-78% are unplanned.

• A smaller amount of teens plan their pregnancy, believing that a child will solve their other problems.

Impact on Physical Health• Regular prenatal care is essential

(healthy diet, adequate physical activity and rest)

• Teen mothers face a high risk of medical complications (early or prolonged labor, high blood pressure and anemia)

Teens have more miscarriages.

• Babies of teen mothers are more likely to be born with health problems.

Impact on Social Health

• Having a baby makes it impossible for teens to have an active social life.

• They often have to juggle difficult schedules and cannot spend time with friends and family

• Pregnancy is the most common reason teens drop out of school-only 1/3 of teen mothers finish high school.

Single Teen Parents• Most female teens who become pregnant

do not marry the father of their baby.

• Most babies of teen parents are raised in a single-parent family.

• Teen mothers are dependent on others for financial support, are more likely to stay in a low-income bracket, and are unable to lead the life of a normal teen.

Single Teen Parents continued…

• Many teen mothers live with their parents-some states require this to receive financial aid from the government

• Most states require a teen father to provide financial support for his child-he may have to quit school and get a job.

Deciding Not to Become a Teen Parent• The decision to delay parenthood until they are

mature and in a committed marriage provides the best opportunities for a happy future.

• They are being responsible and realistic when they make the decision to wait until they are older to become parents.

• Responsible teens recognize that only abstinence will offer complete protection against pregnancy.

• When teens exercise their right to be abstinent, they are protecting their health and their future.

Chapter 4 Lesson 2 Review Questions

1. List reasons people give for deciding to have children.

2. Explain why pregnancy presents a health risk to a teen and her baby.

3. List some of the risks and challenges for a teen father.