Being a dad at 13 - should this be allowed ?

Spain
February 13, 2009 3:19am CST
The British newspaper The Sun is running a story today of a 13 year old boy who has just became father to a baby girl with his 15 year old girlfriend. The boy is 4 foot tall and his voice has not yet broken. I have a son of the same age and would be horrified if he was in this situation as I feel at 13 years old he is still a child himself. I would love to know what you think about this.
1 person likes this
4 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
13 Feb 09
It "shouldn't be allowed" but, on the other hand, what do you do when it happens? Get an abortion and forget about it? That can, under some circumstances, be the right thing to do from the baby and the mother's point of view. Surely is is much better, as the parents of the kids seem to have done, to give them all the support one can. No, it certainly shouldn't be encouraged (and I don't think that the Sun article in any way condones it - http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece ) but these things do happen, unfortunately. I have no doubt that the baby will grow up to be a normal and (let us hope) happy person and cared for person in her own right. Perhaps her father (who will be more like an elder brother) will come to be be an excellent carer. I see no reason why he shouldn't, really - many older brothers of that age become really loyal and fine examples to their sisters and this relationship should be little different, actually, from a brother-sister relationship.
1 person likes this
• Spain
13 Feb 09
Owlwings you make good points, I accept that the parents may make good carers (I hope they do ) but they will miss out so much on thier own chilhood in doing so, but as you say what really can be done once she has became pregnant. More has to be done to by parents to prevent this happening too often in the future.
@krupesh (2608)
• India
13 Feb 09
what a pity? you really cant think of a 13 yr old boy becoming a father.At that age we did not know anything like that of having a physical relationship.What has happened to this world.Why dont this world end right now as it is & re-born with another ADAM & EVE?
• Spain
13 Feb 09
I think situations like this should make us all stop and think about what kind of world we would like our children and our children's children to grow up in and act accoprdingly, to make it a better living enviroment for everyone, it may sound a little idealistic but it sure would be nice :)
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
13 Feb 09
I am not condoning that everyone should be a parent at this age but I think that if they are expecting they need to learn the responsibilities. It's already done, she's already pregnant, and in my opinion unless your heartless, no mother or grandmother alike would make their daughter have an abortion.
• Spain
13 Feb 09
As a mother of a daughter, I have to agree, I wouldn't wish for her to have to go through the heartache and emotional stress of an abortion. I think the key is good s*x education and more readily contraception advice.
@okoyskabo (186)
• Philippines
13 Feb 09
my oh my! how can they be parents to their baby when they are still kids themselves! :-( such a disappointing situation.
• Spain
13 Feb 09
Okoyskabo I completely agree, this story has really saddened me.