Group Activities for Pregnant Teens in High School by Social Workers

Activities for pregnant teens in high school should be carried out with compassion.

If you're meeting with a group of pregnant teenagers at a high school, one good way to prepare them for their new stage of life is to conduct activities which will give them a realistic look at the challenges of motherhood. When running the activities, you should show respect and compassion towards the teenagers and encourage their efforts.

Job Research

For teenagers who want to keep their babies, one good activity is a session on how to research and prepare for the workforce. Take the students to the school library and make copies of certain jobs that are listed in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Have students pick the page that they feel suits their career interests then have them visit career websites such as Monster and Career Builder to read articles on finding work. Also have them visit local colleges' websites to see admissions requirements and possible sources of financial aid.

Time Management

Because the teenagers will need to learn how to balance school, work and parental duties, teach them good time management skills. Purchase some educational DVDs and books which focus on helping teenage mothers maintain a healthy work-life balance and let them watch and read the material during your meeting. Then ask each person to write down questions based on the materials that you can answer in a way that will best help them. For example, a DVD may advise teenage mothers to work full-time. But because a few of your teenagers will be in college soon, advise them to work part-time while in college and seek out a relative to help with babysitting.

Self-Esteem Activities

Some teenagers in your group may struggle with low self-worth, which could lead them to enter negative dating relationships or friendships. Have each teenager write down 20 positive qualities about herself. Then let them turn these statements into a written script which they will perform as a one-person skit. You can also give them advice on how they can maintain their self-worth as they face the difficulties of motherhood.

References

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: When Children Have Children
• National Women's Law Center: How to Keep Pregnant Teens from Dropping Out