20 Things Teens Should Know Before Having Kids

This article is a fantastic piece of information that can help educate teens on the serious aspects of having a child. For my Biology project I was assigned to take care of a sugar bag which was my "baby" and along the way I was given assignments very similar to what an actual parent is responsible for. This article was my last project that I created based on the facts, and my opinions of having a child as a teenager. By: Aidan Nesicolaci (Extra Credit Biology)

1. Clothing & strollers

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An average piece of clothing for a child or infant can cost eight dollars or more. It becomes extremely expensive one has to buy in bulk. Over the months one will need to keep on purchasing new clothing to replace the ones that do not fit anymore. It is a constant spending spree! The average stroller can cost up to thirty dollars.

2. Diapers

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Diapers are a constant purchase by having a child, and can cost up to $25.00 per box. Infants "go" many times throughout the day, which means more diaper changing, and more money needing to be spent. As a teen it is difficult because there is a constant drain with diapers and it will not stop until potty training.

3. Hospital Fees

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Hospitals are extremely expensive for teens because their jobs may not pay enough for the hefty price. Some of the cheaper hospital fees run from eight thousand, and can go up to thirty thousand depending on the hospital. Hospital fees can be the most expensive financial issue of having a child, especially at a young age.

4. Medicine & First Aid

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A newborn child can doe not have a fully developed immune system yet, so babies have a easier chance of getting sick. This then causes a teen to spend money on certain medicines that can be up to thirty dollars. Also,with a sick child, this causes the teen parent to loose more time for school work, and be more dependent on the sick child.

5. Feeding

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During the first months of a newborn a teen could either naturally breast feed their child or buy a breast pump for eight dollars which can make many bottles in a shorter amount of time. Once the child reacher past nine months, they need to consume liquid fruits and proteins for a proper diet. A pack of containers that can last a couple days ranges from, ten to twenty-five dollars. Overtime, this can add up to a ton of money! :(

6. Birthweight

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Teenage mothers are less likely to gain a large amount of weight during their pregnancy due to their fast metabolism. A typical teenage mother will have thin arms and legs, and only have a small baby bump during their pregnancy. However, this can negatively effected their newborn because it can cause the child to have a very low birthweight on the child. Most babies who are birthed from a teenager, usually have a weight of 3.5 to 5.5 pounds.

7. Preeclampsia

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Teenage mothers are more prone to having medical conditions because they are more likely to receive prenatal care. Preeclampsia is a disorder characterized by high blood pressure and usually occurs close to the delivery date of the child.

8. Premature Birth

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A full-term pregnancy lasts a total of 40 weeks. A baby that delivers before 37 weeks is a premature baby, and this is common in teens because of their more active lifestyles that can negatively effected the child. The earlier a baby is born, the higher chance the baby can have respiratory, digestive, and vision problems. This can also lead to death.

9. Down Syndrome

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Down Syndrome is a disease that affects the 21st gene by having an extra chromosome placed on it which alters the mental and physical appearance of a person. Teenage mothers who have a child who has Down Syndrome is very difficult because the child requires more assistance in daily routines, and learning new things. A child with this disease can be almost twice as expensive as a child who does not have this disease.

10. Death Rate

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Sadly, the death rate for teens who have pregnancy complications is a lot higher for those under the age of sixteen because during the first 3 months of pregnancy; seven out of ten teenage girls do not get prenatal care. They do not see a doctor or go to a clinic which can lead to serious health risks or even death.

11. Responsibility

From: Me

Based on my perspective of carrying for my sugar baby, I had to be extremely responsible, and always be cautious of where my baby is, and not to forget him. It was very difficult for me to go around with the baby because i have to take care of him. It definitely made my life very stressful.

12. Schooling

From: Me

Taking class with my sugar baby was very hard for me because during activities or any time i moved in the class or at school, the baby had to come with me. Also, many of the assignments that come with this project were like the difficulties of having a baby, for example, crying at night.

13. Social life

From: Me

At school I was not able to fully to hangout with them because the baby made it difficult for me to do all the things they were doing, such as, playing soccer. Also, especially for being seventeen, everywhere I went people gave me strange looks, and some people found it super strange.

14. Caring For The Baby

From: Me

I found carrying for my sugar baby was fun but also expensive because I had to purchase clothing for my child, and create a carrying device in which he would stay in throughout the day. Economically the constant purchases for the baby became too much for me at times.

15.

From: Me

Some of the assignments were to take your sugar baby places like the beach, park, and mall. This experience was very strange for me because I got a strong amount of stares, however, it was my favorite assignment because it truly showed how difficult it is to care for a baby when one is going in public places. The picture above is me and my sugar baby at the beach in the early morning.

16. Depression

Throughout some of the assignments I had to do I was not happy carrying around the sugar baby because I was so limited to doing certain things, and it felt very awkward. Also, many teens who have children at a young age often become depressed because they are either alone, or struggling with such a large burden on their shoulders.

17. A Breakup or Divorce

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Teens who are usually in a relationship in whom they have a child with, usually their relationship results in a breakup or divorce depending on if they are married or not. Unfortunately, this only makes matters worse for the two involved in the relationship and it does not help in the raising of the young child.

18. Careers

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Teens who have a child usually struggle to complete high school but still do so, however, most teens who do not have a child do not go to college because they need to work to pay for the expenses of their child. Sadly, the careers for one who does not complete high school or go to college is not very strong because the job opportunities are not very good, and do not pay much at all. This is why teens who have a baby still have a hard time providing for their child, even when they have a job. Children are very expensive!!!

19. Dreams Deferred

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Once pregnant, the aspirations, and dreams can seem to many as no longer. It is important to not give up on the true core values of what you believe in, and want to achieve in your lifetime. This also can lead to depression, or even abortion depending on the circumstance of desperation. The whole goal is to maintain what you aspire, and want in life by not giving up on what is important to you.

20. Abortion or Adoption

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With abortion, and adoption, this does give teens different choices in which they can turn to if they really do not choose to have their child. Both abortion and adoption are extremely difficult things to do because your are giving up your child. On the contrary, for some there may be no other choice but to do so depending on their current mindset on life, or through certain situations. The choice is up to the doer, and should be best thought of before doing so because it is such a life changing decision.