Bonnie Dunkle

Bonnie Dunkle

The gifts were given to Bonnie Dunkle, a teacher at Butler Tech, to distribute to the mothers.Dunkle teaches classes aimed at helping young parents with their new responsibilities.

Before accepting the gifts, Dunkle spoke to eighth-grade life skills students.She told them how difficult it is to be a teen parent, and some of the things she teaches her students.

,To be a really good parent, you have to understand child development,, she said. ,We tell our parents to talk to, sing to and hold their babies.,
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Although Dunkle,s job is to teach young parents, she discourages early pregnancies.

,I,ve had middle school students (in class) the last two years.Getting pregnant at 13 or 14 you,re just making your life impossible,, she said. ,My best advice is abstinence.,

The difficulties aren,t just for teen moms.Dunkle said teen dads are expected to pay child support.

,It,s really hard to be a teen dad,, she said.

The stories Dunkle told about some of the teen parents she helps opened the eyes of some of the eighth-graders.