Q Hi Auntie Pearl. My 17-year-old daughter dropped a bombshell on us saying she’s got a bun in the oven.
And guess what? It all went down at her friend’s house party.
There was dop flowing like the Palmiet River after heavy rain, and nobody seemed to be keeping a watchful eye.
The boy involved and his family are taking responsibility, which is a good start.
But here’s where my blood starts to boil: those mense who hosted the party!
They also need to face the music and take their share of the blame. It was their booze, and their house that led to this mess.
My family’s got a moerse lot of expenses heading our way with this little bundle of joy, and I’m not sure how much the baby daddy can chip in.
So, it only seems fair that the party people lend a helping hand too. But they just diss me whenever I try to talk to them.
Auntie, wat moet ons nou maak? Do we bring in the heavy artillery – I’m talking about lawyers.
My wife thinks I’m blowing things out of proportion.
Am I going off the deep end, or do I have a case?
A Ag nee, another unwanted teenage pregnancy. No parent wants to deal with this hectic situation, so Auntie can understand why you are furious and looking to place blame wherever you can.
Of course the two main parties to take the blame are your daughter and the baby daddy, and yes, the alcohol also probably played a part.
But Auntie doesn’t think you can go all Judge Judy on the hosts of the party. It’s not like they made the laaities come to the jol, or forced them to suip, and they definitely had nothing to do with two teenagers having sex.
Nope, that’s all on your daughter and that boy.
These are challenging times, and it’s easy to get caught up in useless anger and frustration. But you must focus on finding a way forward that promotes understanding, support, and fairness for everyone involved.
Thank goodness you don’t sound like those parents who would go all bos and kick out their poor child over this.
Start by sitting down with your wife and having a heart-to-heart talk about your concerns, fears, and expectations. It’s important that the parents be on the same page as you navigate this uncharted territory together.
Next, the baby daddy’s family. It sounds like they are at least also taking some responsibility. Reach out to those parents and find out what kind of support they can offer.
As for the party hosts, you’re not going to get anything there. It’s better to start moving on.
The most important thing is to take care of your daughter. Just look at how emotional you are… now imagine how hectic it must be for her. She is scared, ashamed and confused.
You have to stand together as a family, it’s the only way you are going to get through this.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za