PROGRAM FOR EARLY PARENTHOOD

WILHELM's Reaction on Alvin's Fatherhood:

Alvin was raised in a complicated family setup wherein his mother have died, his father remarried and have another family, Alvin and his younger sister has to stay with his aunt’s family. He has no one to turn to except the aunt and her family. And as in the usual case of the poor relatives and rich relatives. He was to help out in the household without pay because they are being fed and free lodging.

In Alvin's case, he has the defense mechanism of projection because he was not ready to handle the situation in becoming a father to his and Jeng,s child. He has doubts whether he should take the role on becoming a father or not. Because he has other goals in mind. He and Jeng try to abort the child by taking pills.But the child did not die.That was when they kept the baby.

He has Inferiority complex because he have lots problem and responsibility. He only remembers what his grandma always tell him before that being a parent is hard and that he should "Finish your education because it is very difficult to look for a job. Don’t get married yet because I tell you, it’s really difficult. When you are just having an affair, everything seems so beautiful, but when you live with each other day in and day out, you discover the truth about each other. Sometimes, the truth is not that beautiful and that is where conflict starts. Be careful and be sure with every decision you make and there should be commitment on it. Do not engage in something you cannot commit to". He always think in the negative side that is why he always look down on himself with negative thoughts and complaining how hard to become a parent.

The second personality that Alvin has is Self Efficacy . Because of his early experience as a father he realize that he have responsibility now and that he needs to take care both of his wife and their child. He knows his needs to finish college to a find more suitable job so that he would never have to worry about money. And thus he have needs to be strong in overcome any weakness as a teenage father.

Advice or Program given:

To help other teenage fathers like Alvin, it is best for them to join seminars in building strong points in overcoming weaknesses and make strengths out of it to have a distinct personality. It could be better if they meditate for a while and reflect in themselves to build self esteem so that they should not think of the negative but more on the positive side of his situation at hand. And from this mistake make do of everything for his and family's future.

These seminars help them to strengthen themselves in becoming fathers. Teach them new ways in parenting 101 and let them realize what is life being a teenage father and the responsibility that go with it.

BENJIE’s reaction on Carlo’s fatherhood:

Carlo is the eldest of three brothers. He could be described as an artisan who is enjoyable and fun-loving. He was described to have a passion for pets. But as the text describes him, he follows and admires the ways of his dad and gives his full attention to his two younger sisters. Definitely, he likes everything in the ways of the family but conflicts also comprehend and block their attention.

Carlo was just 18 when he became an adolescent father. Here in the Philippines, adolescent fathers appear to be in the youngest age of 15 not knowing what the consequences in life will be. In Carlo’s case, he can deal with the obstacles in life because he has a good way of serving and doesn’t have too much problems about his relationship and family life. He can even apprehend the challenges and prepare things in an orderly way. But the problem that has been bothering him was the first time he knew that he was going to be a father. He hid this news from his father, while the father was away. He has that ‘happy go lucky’ attitude when it comes to social matters. He didn’t mind at all whether he had children. He said that he can deal with this matter, which is the family, even he sometimes or usually go in an easy way.

For me, being in an easy way isn’t always easy. Choosing several things, just to lead to instant success, can also become a frailty upon his own welfare. It can even cause a severe virus to his children that when they grow up, It can even make his children suffer the same thing he had during his adolescent years.

Carlo is in the rationalization mechanism wherein he tries to find acceptable reasons for unacceptable thoughts. Just like when he made love with his girlfriend Rowena, he blamed his father and himself for the pleasure he had done with his girlfriend. This is a kind of thing wherein people have to think positively in order that the negative situations won’t bother his thoughts about being an adolescent father. Most adolescent fathers have the first problem in life. This problem is: Where would they get the support and money to afford to raise the family’s welfare? A question where most of them think and where a huge suffering occurs. This problem can even have a diversion method where the partners have to separate for the meantime in order support their own state. But some adolescent fathers can support this problem because they were taught to be responsible and didn’t always depend on their parents’ support.

Advice or Program given:

In Carlo’s state he should ask for the advice of his father but not to abuse the support given to him if ever it will be given to him. He should also try to avoid the ‘happy go lucky attitude for the meantime. This is a way to ensure that he won’t have problems in the future and have a more successful way.

DANIEL'S REACTION ON JAY MARK'S FATHERHOOD:

Jay Mark is a young man who has goals in life and a decent background. He is also the kind of person who is somewhat reserved and is someone who dedicates his life for someone he cares about, in his case, Mary Anne.

Based on his current condition, Jay Mark is currently in a dilemma wherein he finds himself struggling with his studies, his family business and his responsibilities as an adolescent father. All he ever worried about before was how he would spend his time supporting Mary Anne and the baby. Fortunately, with the help of both families, they had things under control. For Jay Mark, however, his problems affected his studies, due to his decision on handling the fruit-selling business.

Jay Mark is in the repression stage where he internalizes his anxieties about his role as a student, as a son and as a father. For example, he rarely showed any frustrtation or anger towards his family for being fatigued by the family business. Yet, he shows an incredble amount of passiveness as he simply continues his daily routine despite tiring himself out.

Advice or Program given:

For Jay Mark to improve himself more, he would need the help of both families not only to supprot them financially but with emotional and physical problems to further strengthen themselves, especially Jay Mark.

THE OVERALL:

Being a teenage parent is a no laughing matter. For most people being a parent is really hard and challenging .The more it is to teenagers. They will have fewer opportunities than most because of the responsibility of being early parents. We can help them by giving them tips and suggestions about parenting. Here are the programs that we researched that can help teenage parents and they are as follows:

-In being a teenage parent first they need to find suitable jobs, but in the Philippines in order to have a suitable job they need to finish college and that is why they must go on with their studies in doing so they need to enroll at night school. And finish their studies with a degree so they get a better paying job.

- The next thing is financially are they capable of studying without working. If not they have to find other means of supporting himself through school and also of his family. The best of which is to work in the morning then to study at night.

-They need to find a support group who specialize in helping teenage parents in their daily struggle of early parenthood.

-They need also the help of their local church for their spiritual upliftment in their early responsibility as parents and future problems.

-If they still have parents. The parents should take responsibility in guiding the teenagers with their daily problems. If they don't have parents, at least a relative should help and guide these teenage parents.