Tatiana Gutierrez
Editor-in-Chief

Dominic, my 4-year-old brother, asked me to be his guest to his Special Friends dinner at his preschool where we had pizza and danced to songs like the “Hokey Pokey.” Although I wrote on my nametag that I was Dominic’s sister, I still noticed the strange glances from other adults accompanied by the uncomfortable question, “So, is he your son?”

I have grown accustomed to the awkward laugh and “Oh, I’m sorry,” after telling adults that I am Dominic’s older sister, since I have been asked the same question since I was 12-years-old.

Dominic and I do look alike, but I have never really under- stood why adults jump to the conclusion that I am his mother rather than asking if I am his sister or babysitter.

Popular MTV shows “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” have drawn attention to teen pregnancies and teenage mothers caring for their children while the mothers themselves are still growing up.

Shows like these have created a stigma that any teenager walking down the street with a toddler must in fact be a mom, yet the teen birth rate has actually declined over the past 20 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The times when I babysit Dominic for the whole day can be exhausting. If I look away for a couple of minutes he is already off making a mess or causing trouble.

Toddlers demand constant attention and care, since they are unable to do the simplest of tasks like feeding or clothing themselves.

It is hard for me to imagine caring for Dominic full-time while trying to take care of my- self, since I usually make myself frozen meals that I can heat up in a microwave for about three minutes and have done my own laundry maybe twice in my life.

I commend these teenagers for being brave and taking on the task of raising a child, whether or not they are supported by the father, family or friends, but I wish others were not so quick to judge.

The demeaning glances I get from mothers at the playground when they see me playing with Dominic don’t bother me since I know he’s my younger brother, but I would hate for someone to think of me as lesser because I chose to take on the responsibility of raising a child at such a young age.

These moments with Dominic have made me more accepting and open-minded to unorthodox circumstances or situations and have also made me aware that people often assume the worst in others.

I don’t always assume the best in people too, but because of the demeaning glances I receive from other parents and their belittling tone when asking me about Dominic, I’ve tried to be less critical and judgmental of total strangers.