Purpose of Activity:
Life Skills: Critical Thinking, Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Self-awareness
Important Points
Girls before the age of 18 are not ready, physically, emotionally or mentally to start having and bringing up children. If they do, they need lots of support. You may want to do this activity in more than one session.
Before the session choose a boy and a girl who want to roleplay Romano and Marianna. Give them the roles and spend some time helping them plan how to act their roles.
Roleplay Romano
You are 17 years old and you live with your father in a room he has rented. He is a long-distance lorry driver so he is often away from home and you have learnt how to look after yourself.
After primary school, you started a small business selling food and sweets on the street. Sometimes you make a little extra money and you have managed to save enough to buy a dress for Marianna.
You love Marianna very much and think she would be a perfect mother and wife. Since you have met the person you love, you see no reason why you should wait and you feel being a husband and father will make you more mature.
You are willing to work hard to earn more money. Marianna’s mother likes you a lot and you try and help her with small things in her business.
Roleplay Marianna
You are 15 years old and finished primary education a year ago. Since then you have been helping your mother with her informal cooking business.
You go to an evening secondary school because that is all your mother can afford, but the standard of teaching is low and you think you are wasting your time. You love children and spend a lot of time looking after the baby daughter of your eldest sister.
You met Romano a year ago and you really love him and want to have a baby with him. You think your mother would help with the baby, but you haven’t talked about it to her.
You can have a break here.
You can have a break here.
What are the most important qualities a parent should have? Does experience as a parent help you to get other jobs? Which ones?
Is it important to be ready to be a parent? How do most adolescents become parents? (Usually accidental and unplanned.) What pressure does this put on them? Are you ready to be a parent?