Loudon Co. facing 3rd highest teen pregnancy rate in Tennessee

[Ashamed]

There are many reasons for teen pregnancy. The first thing they need are parents who give their time, love, discipline, and supervision. If they are raised with a Christian foundation by loving parents, who keep them out of situations where temptation is likely, they have a much less chance of becoming pregnant. In the old days teens were chaperoned by adults. Something needed is entertainment. There used to be a bowling ally and a roller skating rink, but they are gone now. Somebody with the money to start a business like 'Chucky Cheese' or something similar would make a fortune.

[kelly rector]

my opinion on this is that i dont have a problem with teen pregnacy , but it is a hard life to live with a kid . I am 17 years old .I have a 9 month old one on the way ... to know that my kids will have to strugle is a hard pill to swollow 1 Because i chose to have unprotected sex, and to not listen to my parents and just wait , i'm now a single mother , my 1st child's dad left when my daughter was 2 months and my unborn child's dad left when i told him that i was pregnant.. All im saying is please wait , there is nothing wrong with being a teen mother but , it's so much easy'r to just wait ..

thanks , kelly rector

[upset mom]

Kelly....thanks for taking the time to share your story with us. We need more teens to understand that having kids isn't easy. In fact, it is hard when you are in a committed relationship, with 2 parents and full time jobs, so I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to raise these kids. But the message is...you would be better equipped to raise the kids if you were a few years older because you would have the opportunity to obtain additional life skills which will help to support you all. Good luck to you! I wish you all well!

[Hello]

Ya know it's funny - parents are ramming it down their kids throats from the time they are toddlers that they have to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend. It's parents, media on tv, songs on the radio, and on and on. What do you think is going to happen. I have heard that kids as young as first and second grade have some degree of sex education at school. Kids that young do NOT even need to know the word "sex". No wonder the kids are sleeping around and experimenting with sex by 6th and 7th grades and thus getting pregnant so young.

[Hello]

MomofTeen wrote:

What most Loudon Countians don't know is that Loudon County has both Federal and State money coming into the county to teach abstinence in the schools but the director of this organization receiving the money is not doing her job. Everyone needs to research this and let their opinions be known about the lack of effort by this director. The organization is "Break the Cycle, Inc." located on Mulberry Street in Loudon. The director/President is Dr. Linda Knight. The phone number is listed in the phone directory or on the internet. Loudon County has had one educator doing all Loudon County schools and all Monroe County schools most all the time because Dr. Knight can't keep employees because she treats them so bad. Why isn't Dr. Knight out in the schools?
Note to the editors: I would challenge any one of you to look into this program to see the lack of effort with our tax dollars.

The blame lies with the teenagers who are having sex. It's insame to blame the director of a program for not doing her job in teaching the kids abstinance. That is the job of the parents.
And for the most part the parents do not care. They want the schools to raise their kids because they don't want to put forth the effort. And then want to cry and blame somebody else when "their" kid doesn't turn out right. And another thing - it doesn't matter how many times someone tells these kids not to have sex - they are going to do whatever they want to. As long as the media and Hollywood are raising the kids they will turn out being screwed up and having no morals or values. Ie being pregnant at ages as young as 12 years old. And yeah it happens.
Parents need to wake up and take responsibility for the children THEY brought into this world and raise them and teach them to be responsible human beings.

[Mays]

Okay i have read some of these comments and to me it seems like some of you need to pull your heads out of your back side.All you men stop and think about when you where a teen.What kinda of girls could you go all the way with and what kinda of girls could you not.I'm sorry to be the one to tell all of you this.Raise your kids right and this should not be a problem for you.

[Earl Keese]

so does this mean that barrack "call me if you need me" obama is heading to loudon co. to lurk around for local chics ???

his bulldog of a wife is not gonna get off to that one bit !!!
(but then again.....)

[upset mom]

Joe the Warner....please take your hate elsewhere. This discussion is about teen pregnancy. Keep it relavent!

[KnoxCat]

I know what causes this.

[NightSerf]

Charter Vol--is that you?

[Tasha]

I'm 16 years old and I'm a Junior at Loudon High School. I see pregnant girls all over our school and most of them aren't the ones I would have originally expected. We have absolutely NOTHING to do in this small town. Most of the kids at my school come from low income families and Lenoir City is our closest location of civilization. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A MOVIE THEATRE. Until we hit Knoxville. This entire town is filled with drug addicts. Sex is anywhere you go but more so here. People almost literally have sex in the hallways. New definition of PDA. Loudon County needs a wake up call. BUT WE'RE TOO DAMN CHEAP!!!! The school puts more money in the front lawn than in helping kids stay off the streets and out of the sheets. I hope to organize a progam to help prevent this because SOMETHING must be done. Honestly, I had sex ed. for an hour in 8th grade going to Loudon Co. schools and that's all! So, the school isn't making an effort. That's my opinion!

[SaltShaker]

Maybe if these teen girls actually had to RAISE THEIR KIDS they might think twice before screwing around! It is her parents and the welfare that raise them!!

[Abstinence]

Boy that "abstinence education" is really working out great. Big dividends and I do mean big. Do the logical thing and put the girls on birth control or STFU! Teenagers are just that and u know for a fact, as time has proven over and over, it is going to happen. Wake up world and save a young girl's future and the future of an "unwanted child".

[abc]

We need to back up to the time when a pregnant girl was sent home from school in shame, not marched up and down the hall as being some one to looked up to.Yes teen sex has all ways been there but there was a price to pay if you got pregnant.Your life as you knew it was over,yes something should be there for these girls but not at the public school's.Most of them will be on welfare whether they go to school or not,and have 3 or 4 kids for the tax payers to raise.That should be taken care of at the birth of the first one.Yes I mean sterilize them because they won't remenber to take a pill everyday.

[6541sdt]

SaltShaker wrote:

Maybe if these teen girls actually had to RAISE THEIR KIDS they might think twice before screwing around! It is her parents and the welfare that raise them!!

True. Most of these young girls let their parents raise their kids and support them financially. If they had to actually support them theirselves, they might be more careful,

[6541sdt]

Ashamed wrote:

There are many reasons for teen pregnancy. The first thing they need are parents who give their time, love, discipline, and supervision. If they are raised with a Christian foundation by loving parents, who keep them out of situations where temptation is likely, they have a much less chance of becoming pregnant. In the old days teens were chaperoned by adults. Something needed is entertainment. There used to be a bowling ally and a roller skating rink, but they are gone now. Somebody with the money to start a business like 'Chucky Cheese' or something similar would make a fortune.

I don;t really think that kids need to be "entertained" constantly....that just means they are spoiled and pampered. What they really need is a sense of responsibility for their actions.

[rachael]

Go and investigate the owner of the redskin cafe. why do you think he is trying to attract teens for. it sure isnt for his health. he serves alcholic beverages in hopes they do get under his wing. open your eyes people.

[Barry James Harvey]

Well it's easy, it's due to the spring arriving early, and there are two things in the air then. First it is the pollen and secondly it's the young girl’s legs;
Louden? Oops, sorry, I thought that you said London.

[Barry James Harvey]

Sorry again, I just could not resist that last one. However; to suggest that it is the manner in which a child is raised dictates that child’s future behaviour is far too simplistic, and it is also used as a kind of ‘get out’ of a delicate situation.
A child’s behaviour pattern develops from the genes of the parents in part, it starts to form in the womb and everything seen, read, sensed or heard from birth to death forms the personality of a human being. Even the best Psychologist in the world could not explain why one child becomes a premature parent or not, there are simply too many factors to be taken into account.
One can only hope that if societies normal parenting guides are followed then the situation will not occur.
Me? Yes I have five daughters, none were virgins at the time of their marriage, but then again, none of them were pregnant.

[Upset Mom]

Tasha wrote:

I'm 16 years old and I'm a Junior at Loudon High School. I see pregnant girls all over our school and most of them aren't the ones I would have originally expected. We have absolutely NOTHING to do in this small town. Most of the kids at my school come from low income families and Lenoir City is our closest location of civilization. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A MOVIE THEATRE. Until we hit Knoxville. This entire town is filled with drug addicts. Sex is anywhere you go but more so here. People almost literally have sex in the hallways. New definition of PDA. Loudon County needs a wake up call. BUT WE'RE TOO DAMN CHEAP!!!! The school puts more money in the front lawn than in helping kids stay off the streets and out of the sheets. I hope to organize a progam to help prevent this because SOMETHING must be done. Honestly, I had sex ed. for an hour in 8th grade going to Loudon Co. schools and that's all! So, the school isn't making an effort. That's my opinion!

Is anyone listening to the children??? It seems they know more than the adults regarding what they need to succeed. Perhaps she is on to something.