Thursday, September 11, 2008

Help the Teens (But it is so hard)

There are some teenagers you can talk too about staying out of trouble, getting an education and being a positive young man until you are blue in the face, still they will do what they want. It makes no sense to me at all to be so set on ruining your life. Why won't these teenagers listen? Okay several teens I know have had negative experiences in the last seven days.

1. Two were arrested and had to spend the night in jail for driving with no license and car insurance. These two young ladies 19 and 20 knew they were in the wrong. Both had to pay 300 dollars to get out of jail. You should see their mug shots. They are posing on the pictures. I talked to them prior to this happening and so did their parents, yet they still got behind the wheel of cars.

2. Girl who got pregnant 1.6 months ago and had an abortion is now pregnant again. You know the one who said that I didn't understand the girls in the hood. They got pregnant she said. Now she is 6 months pregnant, in college and riding to work on Metro Link. She is being laid off on the 27th and her boyfriend is acting like he didn’t get her pregnant. He doesn’t respond to her needs or requests. We warned her.

3. One 18 year is hanging around a teen who is bad news. I tried to talk to the both of them and offer some type of guidance, to no avail. They simply said no one can tell an 18 year old what to do. I was going over on Saturday to take Hill Harper's book, Letters to a Young Brother because they love to read, but I got a call last night that they were arrested and in jail because they stole more than 200.00 dollars worth of food out of their close friends' house. This friends' mom is pressing charges, mainly she says to help the good student who seems to be a follower and not a leader. Since it was under 300 dollars it is not a felony. I hope being in jail changes the one guy's mind about being a thug because grade wise he is straight A, street wise he is an F.

We have tried to get them into counseling, sports and other activities, colleges, and churches, to no avail. They are not bad, they just want to do what they want.

Pray for our teens they do not believe fat meat is greasy.

9 comments:

Believer said...

We were all young once and remember the bad decisions we made, but why do these choices stand out from some of our own. I have only questions and no answers. I hope that some of these teens you mentioned have learned some hard lessons and can move forward positively.

princessdominique said...

Life is harder now than it was when we were growing up. All I remember doing is fooling around maybe and staying out late, now there are more serious consequences. They need to listen. All they have to do is watch the news to learn. Why do they think it won't happen to them? It's in all the newspapers.

TJ said...

These kids are not bad people, but they are making bad choices. The bad thing is that the thought processes and belief systems that led to these choices took years to take root and they will most likely take years to dissolve. I hope that their lives aren't in complete ruin by then.

Momma Bear said...

I can relate - I just retired from a school for at risk kids. I worked in the Girl's Program. You would be astonished to know what is going on with those girls. Prayer is definitely needed.

Shai said...

Things are the same and different now than when I was in school.

Actually, during 1987, my city had its highest rate of teens shot. It was crazy and scary how things were.

I can say so much on what is going. Just remember these kids did not sprout up and not listen. It is part of a cycle and with the crazy society puts out there, it is hard for them.

Talking is one thing, using the news as an example is another. Them really seeing it from another perspective is what will count. We cannot use the same tactics our parents did. I had to mix old school with the new with my daughter. She could have really got out there at one time but by the grace of God she did not.

What works for one teen may not work for another. And how many adults know better and don't listen? We have to look at the whole equation before we can try and solve them.

chele said...

It's difficult. If they don't start out on the right track it's that much harder to steer them in that direction. I have two teenagers and a day doesn't go by that I'm not praying for their safety.

Momma Bear said...

Not only teens; I know a young woman, approximately six years past being a teen and she married a man who was on drugs; got her pregnant twice and the second time, he got another woman pregnant too. From what I understand he is going back and forth between the two and they seem to be okay with it.

Rose, I believe these incidents you are talking about is prophecy and it may not get any better; but it never hurts to pray over any situation.

Dee said...

that is so sad
but some ppl are bent on destroying themselves at any age
prayer changes things
talking to them also helps--if they don't hear you know, maybe years later they will say, "well, somebody warned me but I didn't listen" and they will be glad that someone cared enough to give them a heads up.
On top of that, you really don't know how much worse they could have done if nobody tried to step in.
I applaud that Mom for being tough on the kid to try to help him.

Dr. Deb said...

I also worry for younger generations all the time.