Teen parenting continues to be a major issue. At my school, it is a very real issue for many students. One of those students is 15-year-old Tajuana who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl a year ago. She said that one of the joys of being a mother is that moment when the baby first talks and laughs. But according to her, "having to go to school and having a child at home" is very hard. She also confides that it's difficult to watch her own childhood go by. Her advice: "Wait to become a parent, because being a teen parent isn't easy."

Another single parent is Angel, a 17-year-old, who was 14 when she had her handsome son Deion. While she is in school full-time, her three-year-old attends a day school. Angel said that the joys of being a parent are seeing her son smile and hearing him say "Mommy, I love you." She said that being a single parent and fulfilling her son's needs alone are the hard part.

Similarly Tasha, now 17, knows the challenges of being a single parent. Her advice is to "go to school and graduate and get your lives situated before having a baby." She further suggests, "Abstinence is the best key."

Teen parents are only half of the story. What about the children of some teen parents?

I'm 17 years old. Currently I live at home with my parents. But as a matter of fact, I just returned after being in foster homes, emergency shelters and group homes. I'd like to explain my story, because you know there are always two sides to a story.

When I was 12 years old, I would babysit for my younger brothers and sisters while my mom went to parties. Yet, I had to sleep. It was a big responsibility because I was only 12 and didn't know what to do. One day, the child welfare department received a call from someone who told them all kinds of things. So my younger siblings and I were taken away from my mom and dad. During these five years away, I experienced lots of sadness, hurt and pain. Now that I'm home again I'm the happiest person on the planet. My younger siblings are still in state care. They will be returning soon. They're okay; I talk to them twice a week and visit them.

The Point:

I knew my mom and dad weren't perfect parents. They had five children, which was hard. But before they had us, they should have planned things out better.

So, to you young teenagers out there: don't become a parent or mother at a young age. It's not worth the pain. ?