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Pregnancy is something to be celebrated in most circumstances. However, there are times when a pregnancy is not planned and involves someone that is a teenager. When this occurs, it is important to examine the effects that this will have on the education of the parents. There are many positive factors associated with getting more education. It can be tempting for young parents to drop out of school to start working and taking care of their kids. 
However, over the long term this can cause an issue with how much they will earn. Here are several ways that teenage pregnancy can affect the education of the parents.
Dropping Out of School
There are many studies that show that education pays off when it comes to earnings over the life of an individual. However, according to NCSL, many teenage pregnancies end up hurting the parent’s education opportunities. Some studies estimate that the difference in earnings is over one million dollars for people that have a college degree versus those that do not. Anyone that has a child at a young age may feel tempted to drop out of school because it is easier in the short term. However, over the long term this will hurt how much money they can earn. One of the most important parts of being young is getting an education that will last a lifetime. Although it may seem easy, there are many statistics that point to a grim life for those that do not finish school. One of the biggest shifts in becoming a parent is that you start to think about your children above yourself. By not finishing school, you are deciding that you do not want the best life that is possible for your children.
Positives of Finishing School
There are many benefits to finishing school even if you have a child that is not planned. Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy does not have to mean the end of your life. There are many people that rely on the help of family to watch the kids while they go to school or work. One of the biggest positives in finishing school is having career choices as you get older. People that get a solid educational base have more careers to choose from than those that do not. The current economy is changing so rapidly that having one career choice may not be the best option over the long term. It is important to have this solid base of education so that you can have choices in what you do. Without a good education, you will always be at the mercy of a business that is currently hiring. There are several studies that show there are positive effects on children that have parents with an education. As NCSL states, nearly forty percent of teenage parents do not finish school. One of the biggest influencing factors on a child’s life is whether or not their parents graduated from high school. Children that are born into families where one or both parents did not graduate from high school have a higher chance of going to jail or dropping out of school. Instead of taking the easy way out, work on finishing school and providing a better life for your children.
Be Positive
Having a pregnancy at an early age can be difficult for many people to deal with. However, it is important that the parents continue to work towards finishing their education. There are many positive benefits to finishing school and getting a job. Parents that do not graduate from high school earn much less than those that do. Anyone that wants to provide the best life possible for their children should get as much education as possible. Over the long term, this will produce a higher quality of life for themselves and their children.