I would give exactly the polar opposite advise that Lucella has given you but on a need-to-know basis. Stick with your original model about marriage and THEN babies as being the best way to have a family. Don't dwell on what the teacher has done, simply reiterate your values to her. 6th grade is old enough to understand that the world is not black and white, that life offers choices and that with your guidance, she will make the right ones.
Yes, I agree with tolerance and choice and free will and personal freedoms and all those ideals should be respected but realistically, this person IS a role model. Just not one you want your kids to emulate.
My comments are not meant to get belittle or insult anyone on this board. They are simply my opinions.
I was waiting for the rest of the story to find the problem. Lots of single women have children. She is an adult & this is her decision. I would take this opportunity to explain to your daughter that while having a child in a marriage is the ideal situation, sometimes ADULTS choose to have a child when they are unmarried. I would use this as a chance to teach a little diversity & tolerance. Just because she is unmarried & pregnant does not mean she is irresponsible (maybe she is, but the fact that she is pregnant does not necessarily mean this)or unworthy of respect. You can explain why it is a good decision to wait & why it is special etc., but the reality is that people have free will & this woman has made a choice-clearly not one you would have chosen-but it was HER choice. I would explain to her that while we don't always agree w/the things other people do, we need to respect their right to do them.
I am on the PTO and a parent of a 6th grader. Although tis doesn't really involve the PTO, I am wondering if anybody else has encountered this situation. My daughters' 6th teacher who is single, is pregnant. Oddly enough, she is also the teacher that handles the sex-ed course. As I have recently, had "the talk" with my daughter, explaining that people should wait until marriage for sex, how do I now explain to her that her teacher, someone she respects, is now pregnant?
