The Things No One Tells You About Parenting

“Severe alcohol abuse and the irrational behaviors that go along with it.” (73). In my experiences in the classroom and my many interactions with school social workers and therapists I sometimes am left with a seemingly harsh outlook. Sometimes I feel that while most women are able to reproduce starting in their mid to late teenage years; that not all people are meant to raise children. When you think about it, raising children does not come with a manual and even the many parenting books that exist can’t make up for the individuality that each child has, so parenting can be an extremely difficult, yet rewarding job.

But with this said, should these themes be depicted in adolescent literature? Does this help or hurt the children that can identify with this sort of situation? Imagine thinking that you were unwanted and then to have it reinforced in a novel. It might be more damaging to see print illuminate your fears. For this reason, I was first unsure of how to read Becoming Naomi Leon, but I believe Skyla’s inability to parent was counteracted by the author placing Grandma Outlaw into the story and later the children’s biological father and showing how much they both loved and supported each child. Although I enjoyed this novel; I still fear that some students may feel discouraged if they have a parent battling alcoholism or a parent who has not yet fully accepted the responsibilities that go along with parenting, so I’m left with the following questions… Where do you draw the line between portraying a reality of a large number of children in situations like Naomi and the harsh realities that may unfold due to these circumstances versus providing children hope that their parents can come around and change for the better, which must occur in certain situations? When does being realistic become being pessimistic? And where should we, as teachers, potential authors, and members of society draw the line?