Maternity Leave for Teens

[Nephissa]

Forget Condoms. Forget Abstinence. Seems a Denver School District has a growing problem. There are so many pregnant teens that the teens are demanding maternity leave.

 

Pregnant students in a Denver high school are asking for at least four weeks of maternity leave so they can heal, bond with their newborns and not be penalized with unexcused absences.

 

here

[Cara.]

But pregnancy is an inexcusable absence.

 

Of every 1,000 girls ages 15 to 17, 54.5 will become pregnant in the city, compared with 24.3 throughout Colorado, according to state health statistics.

That's actually not too bad, I thought every other girl would be eligible for maternity leave.

 

And these spoiled brats are complaining about merely going to class and doing their homework when there are women in the world who give birth in the morning and are working the fields by midday (or so says my mom).

[BOB]

Ceeb Weynaa...Shoow ileyn Gaal ma xishoodo! I pray I never live to see the day when Muslims pick up this trait where teenage girls having illegitimate babies is norm.

 

 

Salam Aleikum W.W

 

 

Peace, Love & Unity.

[Blessed]

Child birth takes a lot out of a woman and the first few weeks are a nightmare. Four weeks, to heal (it takes longer for some women) and get your head and life in order is not too much to ask. These schools are just setting these girls up failure if they insist on attendance.

[Ibtisam]

Erm what is the big deal. The child needs time to recover, bond and adapt to being a mum before going back to class. Obviously there is a problem, which needs to be addressed (high teen pregnancy) but that should not mean they should get treated differently or penalized for having the baby.

 

Cara the conditions and environment are different so such comparison can never be made…how come a 10yr old in Africa is the head of a whole family raising his younger siblings and the sole breadwinner.

 

Bob it is not about norm, but rather dealing with the situation and consequence.

[Nephissa]

If these girls really cared about education, they would have waited until after high school to get pregnant. They should be forced to take responsibility for the consequences of their own actions. Now there's a lesson worth learning.

 

L0L@Cara. Working in the field by midday kulahaa, LOL. You sound like my parents, they have the old school mentality that negative reinforcement is the way to bring up your kids.. always comparing us to other miyi' people.

[underdog]

So do we (Muslims/Somalis) have community based education initiatives to help young girls stay away from from situations leading to "maternity" and/or "abortion"?

 

Or is it still just classified as 'parental responsibility'?

[Nephissa]

That still remains a major taboo. We are in the 21st century and it's time Somali/Muslim parents act like it in this awkward area, as some kids these days are more advanced than perhaps when they were at that age..

 

Uur markay yeelato ceejo ku dhag ma soconayso! I have an amazing and witty cousin who made sure her child was in the know about the birds and the bees at the age of 10. The look of disgust on the child's face was a lovely sight to behold.

 

Scare them now people to stop you becoming a granny at the age of 30.

[ElPunto]

Maternity leave? They're old enough to have children - presumably they can leave school and return once they've got their lives back together again.

[Diaspora_Dude]

Kids having Kids that is the sign of the times.

[J.Lee]

If these girls really cared about education, they would have waited until after high school to get pregnant. They should be forced to take responsibility for the consequences of their own actions. Now there's a lesson worth learning.

That is the most unkind thing I have ever had the displeasure of reading.

 

1. What makes you think they didn't care about their education because they happened to get pregnant?

 

2. Why are you generalizing?

 

3. Since you are being presumptuous, why not assume that some of them could be married? Teens do get married as farfetched as it might seem.

 

4. You make it seem as though it was intentional when it might not have been. Sex doesn't always lead to pregnancy.

 

5. Our lives are guided by a divine order so their pregnancy waa loo qoray: meaning there is no amount of condoms or abstinence classes that could've stopped it.

 

It happened. There is nothing that can be done about it except to deal with it positively and help them out. They should just do their work at home and either have the counselor pick it up or have a family member drop it off.

[Che -Guevara]

Originally posted by Diaspora_Dude:

Kids having Kids that is the sign of the times.

Kids always had kids. It is not aberration or new phenomena.

 

J.Lee. Ilaahay wuu qoray, but responsibility that do parents or the kids themselves bear.And why should society be burdened with their problems?

[Aaliyyah]

There is nothing wrong with giving maternity leave to teens who got pregnant while in school, That is the least anyone could do for them. Besides, who said it is wrong to get pregnant while you are still in high school if you wish to (ofcourse from religious perspective you have to be married regardless of your age..the prophet csw married Aisha when she was only 9 yrs old). Therefore, I assume 15 yrs old is old enough to decide that, without ppl being judgemental.

 

Really, why should any of you be bothered with why they got pregnant ?? (somali iyo faduul).

 

But, I do agree we should encourage our teens to stay in school. Perhaps, start off programs to help kids stay active and focused. definitley, that will be worth it.

 

All in all, I think they deserve to stay home and still continue their studies at home if they choose to. mothers get maternity leave at work? why can't they? no one should be descriminated against simply because of age. everyone has mind of their own and can live their life how they see fit.

 

wa salaaaam

[Che -Guevara]

the prophet csw married Aisha when she was only 9 yrs old).

Nine year old didn't even hit puberty. Can you elaborate on that.

[Aaliyyah]

^^^Girls hit puberty as early as 9 yrs old. So, age should never be the issue. If a girl decides she is ready to get married. Then, by all means she should do it.