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"Mom, Dad, I'm Pregnant."
Standing by Your Teen – No Matter What
By Megan Potter
Try to remain unbiased in your education. Learn everything you can and share it with your teens. There are nine months of pregnancy in which to make a final decision, so make sure that you have encouraged an informed decision and that everyone is prepared to handle the possible consequences of that decision. But remember: In the end, it is their decision, and there may be nothing you can do to change it.
Most importantly, get counseling. Arrange for you and your spouse to speak to a professional. If you have other children, you may want to involve them, too. Be sure that your child is seeing some kind of counselor who will address the many emotional issues involved in teen pregnancy. Encourage the other teen and the teen's family to seek a counselor or to take part in some of your sessions.
"Parents need to recognize their own fear and uncertainty and to keep it in check ... to acknowledge that it is a real thing," Underwood says.
Counseling provides a way to deal with fears and to come to grips with the situation. You can seek a counselor or therapist who does family work. You can turn to a local church for referral or you can ask a hospital how to contact your local crisis pregnancy center. All centers differ somewhat, but all are there to help pregnant teens (though some counsel others, too).
Your teen will find knowledgeable support, group events and assistance with food, money, health and more at one of these centers. They may or may not provide family counseling. If they do, consider taking part. Most municipalities will have a crisis pregnancy support group or center; it's simply a matter of locating it.