Just Another Statistic

In one year I will no longer have the chance to be just another number in the ever growing rate of teenage pregnancy (thank God). I have friends and classmates that have gotten pregnant, I watch 16 and pregnant, and teen mom, I even had a weekend with an electronic baby & now nanny 3 boys that get mistaken as mine all the time. I have the utmost respect for a teen parent, and am thankful every day for not being one. Through the two hands on experiences I have had my biggest shock about teenage pregnancy isn't the baby but society.
When I had my plastic baby I had a women tell me that my baby was going to hell, and another tell me that she hoped I wasn't wearing white on my wedding day. When my male friend and I took the baby out in public people looked at him like he was a Saint for actually doing what all teen fathers should do and looked at me like I was a typical valley girl who couldn't keep her legs shut. A lot of girls who get pregnant have been with their partners for awhile, they aren't just a Kum & Go (punny :) ).
Now with the boys I nanny for, I pick them up from school, take the to parks and the pool and even out for lunch sometimes. I get the side glances (the boys are 6 and two 4 year olds, which would've made me 13 & 15 when I had them. COME ON!) and questions like "Oh, so is their daddy still around?". Yes, you arrogant son of a gun, who do you think I drop them off with at 5:30? When I walked the twins into Vacation Bible school this morning the looks I got from the middle aged women were something else, and one even asked me if I really thought the boys should be here! Even if I was a teenage mother, why shouldn't my children be allowed to go to Vacation Bible School because I had them out of wedlock? Playing, feeding, driving these boys around and taking care of my baby was never the hard part, in fact, it was all exactly how I expected it to be, late nights, early mornings, not enough sleep and a lot of screaming and crying (on both parts). I can't wait to have kids (okay, that's a lie yes I can) but what makes being in public with these kids so hard is society. Why isn't their first thought about me being their sister, or their babysitter, why do most people jump to the conclusion that I'm their mother? & even if I was their mom where do you get off telling me that my kids can't go to Vacation Bible School and that I shouldn't wear white? Arrogance is societies biggest downfall.
To all the teenage mothers who endure this every day, know that I am envious of your ability to not yank all of these idiotic people to the ground by their necks with each comment, because I sure wanted to. I admire your ability to keep your head up high after 2 hours of sleep, and your ability to embrace and love the child you weren't completely ready for. The world would be a much better place with a lot less judgement.