Help a teacher out, please?

Ardmhs83

Help me out wise parenting board.  I'm a high school teacher and a student came to me yesterday telling me she is pregnant.  She's only 16 years old and was confiding in me.  She asked me what she should do to be healthier and ready...loaded question, I know.  My first question was has she told her mom yet, she hasn't.  We have a local health department that she can go to and she said she would, but how can I really encourage her to tell her mother when she is so scared to do so?  

I have talked to guidance and have gotten help with this.  Anyone have any other suggestions?  Anybody on here ever been in this situation and can offer some advice?

Thanks so much!

myskyegirl

I think at this point the only thing you can do is be there for her if she has questions and to make sure she's keeping up with school.  I'd let the guidance counselor deal with helping her tell her family. This is just MHO.   

BluepointToasted

Tell the guidance counselor, hopefully your school has someone designated to deal with teen pregnancy?  Up until last years budget cuts, my high school had the Center for Young Parents which had counselors which had many connections to help in the community.  You gave her the right advice about getting medical attention asap, that is most improtant.  If she can't get to a doctor she can just walk into Planned Parenthood and start from there.

Ardmhs83

She told me at the very end of the day yesterday and with it being exam week here, things have been crazy.  The message has been sent to guidance...waiting to here back from them.  

Thanks ladies...praying for her.

[Deleted User]

I would defer to the Guidance Counselor's office as a CYA.  Some districts restrict what advice you can give.  The GC would know more and have a list of resources.  

Topi-Jan

I agree that what you can and cannot say is varies widely by state and district.  You did the right thing by telling her to go to a doctor and letting counseling know because they usually have a ton of resources.  Hopefully she feels comfortable with (or at least knows) her counselor and will talk to her.

In addition to what you have done, though, I would walk into the office and tell a counselor personally.  At this point in the school year counselors have so much going on that I would worry about the message falling through the cracks until after the year is over and this student has left for the summer.