Youth / OPINION : Teen-Age Dads: ‘I Have to Act Like a Man Now’
GEOVANI NOVOA
Dropout, 16, Los Angeles; left Washington High School in 10th grade; father of a 3-month-old girl
Being a father does put a lot of pressure on me. Even though I’m just a child, I have to act like a man now.
I haven’t gone to school for a year. I dropped out to start looking for a job. I want to get back into school because having a McDonald’s-type job won’t help me take care of my family. My girlfriend doesn’t accept any help from the government. My mother really helps out by letting us live with her and at the same time Carla (his girlfriend) works too. As soon as we got together Carla got pregnant. We didn’t use protection because we planned to have this baby. We were sure about each other.
JARROD HETTLER
Senior, 17, Burbank High School; father of a 6-week-old boy
I am a father now. It happened February 22. (Stephanie) gave birth to a boy. His name is Dru Nathan Hettler. (Being a dad and going to high school) is a little tiring at times, because not only do I work and go to high school, but I also parent now. I’m a sales representative, part-time at a (video store). And aside from that, I work on movies once in a while, building sets, and that’s very stressful. But the money is there. I’m still living with my parents, and she is living with her Mom in Glendale. My parents were very supportive at the time, my father was extremely supportive financially and emotionally. He was there for me. Her parents were a little shocked.
LAWRENCE DANTE KLINE SR.
Senior, 17, Dorsey High School, Los Angeles; father of a 4-month-old boy
Being a father don’t make you a man. I know I have to take care of what I made. I don’t want my son to grow up in a house without me. We didn’t plan to have a baby, temptation got us. I regret not using protection, but I have no complaints. We both have jobs, and we know the baby comes first. When I told my Mom she went off on me. Nobody was really happy because of my age. Me and my mother hardly spoke. The baby really came in-between us until she accepted it--when my girlfriend was about seven months pregnant.
We plan to marry later. But right now I’m not thinking about marriage ‘cause we are both in school. It looks dumb for people in high school to be married.
CRAIG DARRELL JONES
Freshman, 15, Jordan High School,
Los Angeles; father of a 4-month-old girl
Having a baby really didn’t affect my everyday life. It’s just you have a baby and you attend to that baby. I didn’t want a baby this soon, but my baby’s momma trapped me.
The only regret I have is that now my baby’s mother gets to bug me when I don’t want to be bothered. I have to listen because it’s always about my baby. I’m very active in my child’s life. Having a baby this young really hasn’t changed my plans. I’m still going to be a rapper.
We haven’t really run into financial trouble because my family helps out whenever the baby needs something. I’m not working yet because I want to wait until I’m 16.
