Diary of a Teenage Mother

Offering a hard-hitting look at some of the struggles teen mothers face, Diary of a Teenage Mother follows the real-life decisions and sacrifices teen mother Kyra faces in raising her 3-year-old son. Through flashbacks, viewers learn how she came to be in her current straits--working at a dead-end job, living at home, suffering from a poor relationship with the child's father and strained relations with her own mother, and having no extra money for school, clothes, or entertainment. Kyra contrasts her initial rosy expectations when she found out she was pregnant (the baby would fill her needs for love; she would marry the father and live happily ever after) with the vastly different reality of trying to raise a child alone without a helpmate. Although this title may sound a little heavy handed and pessimistic, it does (unfortunately) present a realistic view of what most teen mothers face, and would therefore make a good reality check for a high school adult living curriculum (the program includes a teacher's discussion guide with reproducible handouts). Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (L. Stevens)