What Sunday school classes do teen parents attend?

[Bini]

If you are a teen parent and continue to attend church, are you required to complete YM/YW before going to priesthood/relief society? Does anyone have experience in this situation? Is it a case by case basis, or is there a protocol that is followed? Aside from learning the gospel, my thought was that YM/YW was a prep for priesthood/relief society, where focus on missions and law of chastity shift to enriching marriage and family life.

[estradling75]

 

If you are a teen parent and continue to attend church, are you required to complete YM/YW before going to priesthood/relief society? Does anyone have experience in this situation? Is it a case by case basis, or is there a protocol that is followed? Aside from learning the gospel, my thought was that YM/YW was a prep for priesthood/relief society, where focus on missions and law of chastity shift to enriching marriage and family life.

 

 

Attendance in YM/YW is based on age.  There are no completion requirements other then having the correct number of birthdays

[Jane_Doe]

 

If you are a teen parent and continue to attend church, are you required to complete YM/YW before going to priesthood/relief society? Does anyone have experience in this situation? Is it a case by case basis, or is there a protocol that is followed? Aside from learning the gospel, my thought was that YM/YW was a prep for priesthood/relief society, where focus on missions and law of chastity shift to enriching marriage and family life.

 

 

As estadling said, YM/YW is typically based on age.  It's not really a "prereq" for RS/Elders.  Else we'd have to make every adult convert attend YW !

 

That being said, there are exceptions, which operate-case-by-case.  These are a few I've encountered--

 

1)  One ward I attended had a YW who was 20 and still attended HS.  She was allowed to stay in YW because that's the stage of life she was in and where she was comfortable (she was also emotionally developmentally behind).  

2)  Another YW I know is 19 and still in HS, but is an incredibly mature young lady (the delay in schooling was not her fault).  As a senior in HS she attends RS.  

3)  I've met some 17 y.o. who've graduated early and attend college.  They typically attend RS in their YSA wards.

 

I would imagine that a teenage mother who have a choice based upon her maturity and needs. 

Edited April 13, 2015 by Jane_Doe

[davidstarfall]

Attendance in YM/YW is based on age.  There are no completion requirements other then having the correct number of birthdays

I love the wording in this haha. Plus it is correct. YM/YW is not a prerequisite, but the style and curriculum is focused on preparing youth to function as an outstanding member of the ward. So, never having attended YM/YW is fine. It is probably up to you and your bishop to decide where would be best for you to go.

[char713]

My experience has been that once a youth has made adult choices they are treated as an adult in other ways too. Maybe if it is a convert or non-member things are different though.

Edited April 13, 2015 by char713

[Bini]

Yes, I understand that converts aren't required to go through YM/YW if they're already adults and go straight into priesthood/relief society. I was just wondering about teen parents that were already in YM/YW. Do they stay with that age group? Or do they graduate to the adult sessions? 

[Vort]

Attendance in YM/YW is based on age.  There are no completion requirements other then having the correct number of birthdays

Pretty sure that teenage mothers attend Relief Society and not their YW class. Don't know about teen fathers, but I would guess it's the same policy.

[Jane_Doe]

Yes, I understand that converts aren't required to go through YM/YW if they're already adults and go straight into priesthood/relief society. I was just wondering about teen parents that were already in YM/YW. Do they stay with that age group? Or do they graduate to the adult sessions? 

 

I don't know of any set-in-stone policy, I'm guessing there isn't one and it's a case-on-case basis.

[Vort]

Pretty sure that teenage mothers attend Relief Society and not their YW class. Don't know about teen fathers, but I would guess it's the same policy.

 

Always better to check sources than to voice an unsubstantiated opinion or supposition. From Handbook 2:

 

 10.12.4

Young Women Who Are Pregnant out of Wedlock or Who Are Unwed Mothers

If a young woman is pregnant out of wedlock, the decision to participate in Young Women classes and activities is left to the prayerful discretion of the young woman, her parents, and the bishop.

If a young woman age 17 or older has a baby out of wedlock and chooses to keep the child, she is welcomed into Relief Society, where she can be taught and helped in her new responsibilities. She no longer participates in Young Women.

If a young woman under 17 has a baby out of wedlock and chooses to keep the child, the decision to participate in Young Women is left to the prayerful discretion of the young woman, her parents, and the bishop. If the young woman participates in these classes and activities, the child should not accompany her.

[pam]

And there you have it.

[pkstpaul]

So many dynamics are involved.

 

On a personal note, a young person in that position is undergoing so many changes that even if they were to stay in YM/YW, the dynamics will change so fast they aren't likely to stay.  A bishop may give approval for them to stay, as a consideration of the youth's current mental health status with the expectation the status may change rapidly. Another factor could be the amount of influence the individual has over others in the group. If he/she is a leader, it may be best to remove them. If the person was an outcast and in need of fellowshipping, it may be the best consideration to leave them in the group where there is positive leadership.

 

As stated, prayer and discretion.

[Bini]

I would think RS would be more helpful in the grand scheme of things, versus YW, when it comes to a teen mother. Despite age group, you suddenly realise that being in a class with other wives and mothers might be more helpful, instead of with a group of high school kids that cannot relate to being a parent and raising a child.

[Roseslipper]

Yes I thought that they would now go to ,RS not yw.