School Has Baby Shower for Pregnant 8th-Grader

(Cicero, Illinois) In celebration of the pregnancy and impending birth by a 14-year-old, the 8th grade class at Our Lady Of Charity School is having a baby shower.

. . . Students are being asked to bring a gift. The school will use the shower to discuss teen pregnancy and try to help the young girl.

"Being a Catholic school, we believe in service. We want to help this girl and her baby and her family so that they can have good lives," said Sharon Schaffer, teacher, Our Lady Of Charity School.

Hopefully, the school's discussion of teen pregnancy will be sufficient to counter the giggly and envious chatter among the not-yet-pregnant teen girls while, at the same time, not impede upon the festive nature of the occasion. I suspect that the message of stupidity and ignorance of teen pregnancy will be lost in the cacophony of congratulations, good wishes, and gift-giving.

This story is an example of superficial thinking producing unintended results. And, one has to wonder, of the other girls, will any look at pregnancy more favorably because of the party? I think so. Popularity, however achieved, is exceedingly important to impressionable 14-year-old girls.