Teen pregnancy and troubled kids

As you probably know, I'm a counselor at a small school, so I see all ages of kids. Last week was especially stressful and busy. One day I was with the diagnostician trying to make sure I know what kids are taking what TAKS tests and I had several kids having meltdowns and had to leave the diagnostician, which is my family so she understood. I had calls from parents and I had to go take care of an incident at elementary. Poor Dana just had to wait patiently for me. In fact, she helped me get through that afternoon by giving me moral support. I was glad she was there. She was my counselor that day. I was stressed and upset talking to these kids that were so troubled. I obviously can't say any details about the kids or what was going on, but I can say that every kid that I see, no matter what age, is from a broken home. Their mother won't be able to handle them so she sends them to their dad, who sends them back or they live with their grandparents. They have no stable home. No wonder they are having meltdowns! I just want to scream at these so-called adults and tell them to take care of their kids. Once you have kids, the kids should come first. Then I think that probably these parents were treated the same way when they were young, so that's probably the only thing they know, which is what is going to happen to these kids now. The cycle will never end.

Don't get me wrong....there are some single parents that do a great job with their kids. In some situations, divorce is the best thing as long as the kids are taken into account first, which is true in the people close to me. The single mothers I'm talking about do a great job taking care of their kids almost all alone. It does take a good support from the family, though.

One of my professors once told me when we were talking about this, that it means job security for me. They will always need counselors. In fact, a couple of kids needed outside counseling, but when I tried to get it for them the guy who usually comes said he was retiring and the other guy quit, so there is no one. When they are at school, they are my kids and I do the best I can with them while they are there, but when school is out, it is out of my hands.

Another big problem we have is teen pregnancy. We have just had the 4th baby born this school year. There are 2 juniors and 2 seniors that are now mothers. There is another senior due before school is out. I have to go to their house and take them work during their six weeks out of school. I do everything I can to keep them from dropping out. So far, they are still in school, despite the fact that they are struggling to find babysitters, they are having to work, and their boyfriends are not much help. It's very hard on them. I don't know how to prevent this and if I did, I would be a rich woman. It is a problem in all schools, but it seems like 5 girls out of 93 kids is an extreme amount.

Friday was a better day. When I went to elementary, a couple of boys that I had seen the day before came and hugged my neck and told me that they were having a better day, which makes me feel better. Not that I had anything to do with it, but I was glad they were better. And the high school boy that I saw also came and told me things were getting better for him.

Since I'm a counselor, I can't very well counsel myself, so this is my therapy. So thank you to those of you that are still reading. You are my counselors. And if you have any advice for me, I'll take it.