"You actually have to change girls' opportunities and their outlook on life. You have to give them an alternative track, a reason to take different opportunities. It actually calls for much bigger and larger social and policy interventions

having a baby as a teen was a symptom of poverty,

have a baby while you're a teen, and you're doomed to a life of poverty

very special bond

it is certainly not the end of the world either

But some teens and young adults become parents and their life begins anew.

he struggles of being pregnant as well as having to manage school and babies and everything else that goes on in life at a young age.

Teen parents should find the strength for their children and push themselves further to succeed in life. It’s not the end of the road.

It was disappointing, because I worked so hard my entire life with my education to be the best student I could possibly be, and then all of sudden people thought I wasn’t going to go to college or graduate … or do anything with my life.

A lot of rumors were just that I was irresponsible. No college...it was bound to happen. I knew she would get pregnant. Doesn't she know she just ruined her life," she said.

problems of deprivation relate more to the background of the woman than to the age at which she starts childbearin

having been a teenage mother did not mean that their life and future were all over

The women expressed positive attitudes to being mothers and described how it had affected their lives. For some, motherhood had been the impetus to change direction and consider a career, because they had someone else for whom they were responsible. They recognised that they were still young enough to enter further education or other aspects of employment as their children grew up.

Age at which pregnancy occurs seems to have little effect on future social outcomes (like employment and income in later life), or on current levels of disadvantage for either parents or their children.

eenage parents, he went on, were linked to other social ‘problems’ such as youth crime and drug addiction, criticising ‘ineffective remedial policies, whether they take the form of more prisons, drug rehabilitation or supporting longer and more costly lifetimes on benefits’ (The Sunday Times, 15th February 2009).

You only have to take a look at their parents to see where it all went wrong. Imagine everyone’s surprise that Chantelle’s parents live on benefits and, despite her dad being jobless, have six children. Alfie, meanwhile, is the son of a single mother and a father who’s fathered no fewer than nine children ... a world of broken homes and benefits, where irresponsibility and fecklessness reign supreme

It is not the teenage bit which is particularly important … rather it is social and economic disadvantage which produce poor outcomes

motherhood has made them feel stronger, more competent, more connected to family and society and more responsible

governments should focus on tackling the original disadvantage often experienced by teenage parents, rather than on attacking their decision to become parents

teenage mothers are motivated to turn their lives around to provide for their children

It isn’t about what someone did wrong anymore, it is about how to make a life better

Many pregnant teenage moms are successful and with the help of supportive families can raise their children quite well

The key in any relationship with our children is to maintain some openness to our avenue of communication

Less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30.

Parenthood is the leading reason that teen girls drop out of school

However, no one claims that ads against teen drinking are abusive to alcoholics. In both cases, we are trying to coax people away from negative behaviors.

Shame

Some, for example, seem to think that the public service announcements are an argument against giving teen mothers support once the baby is born

“Now girls don’t be ashamed and you just expect a girl to get pregnant now because so many girls do, but before 1960 it was something for everybody around the corner to talk about and everything.”

In most cases they would have come from a mother-headed household with many siblings. On the other hand some teenagers fall to peer pressure and before they know it they get caught. The absence of a father figure is another major issue. Then we have a generation of young ones who are considered speedy, their eyes are shine, some of them get caught having sex for simple things like sneakers and other material things which they could very well do without.

the inability of single parent mothers who cannot effectively provide for their children. The other thing is there are no job opportunities for the youths these days and they are forced to do things that they really don’t want to do.

Indeed, a tendency to look on the bright side may be so intertwined with human survival that evolution has skewed us that way.

the pursuit of meaning, which is unique to humans

Leading a happy life, the psychologists found, is associated with being a "taker" while leading a meaningful life corresponds with being a "giver."

the single-minded pursuit of happiness is ironically leaving people less happy

Forty percent either do not think their lives have a clear sense of purpose or are neutral about whether their lives have purpose.

That's because when it comes to predicting exactly how you will feel in the future, you are most likely wrong.

What happened to you?

hoping to learn the secrets of the good life.