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Young Men As Parents
Football star Michael Owen announced last week that, at 22, he will soon follow fellow England star, David Beckham, 27, into the labor-ward1.
This impression is backed up2 by a few surveys on the mating habits of young British. In fact, British young men are five times more likely than their Italian contemporaries to have settled down by 25 .
So what is happening? Has the"Loaded"generation3 gone soft? Celebrity has done a service by casting its limelight on a largely invisible side of fatherhood.
When Michael Douglas ( ageing American actor) reveals about the wrinkly end of the paternal experience, Michael Owen is doing for boy dads.
Powerful celebrity role models such as Beckham help young fathers feel less of an alien. Beckham, of course , has no problem with the breadwinner bit, but his distinguishing characteristic is his public endorsement of caring fatherhood. For a young dad, this can be liberation.
Just 20 percent of teenage fathers remain in touch with the mothers 15 years later. It means that 8, 000 children born to teenage dad this year will not be seeing him by the time they themselves are teenagers.
Does this matter to the child? Hugely. According to recent findings by Professor Judy Dunn at the UK's Institute of psychiatry, a close relationship between an estranged father and his child is highly beneficial to a child's development, particularly when the mother became pregnant as a teenager.
New research from Bristol University in England suggests that young fatherhood, far from being problematic, can bring young, disadvantaged men out of social exclusion.
The state has yet to appreciate the potential of young fathers summed up by Michael Owen's words:"I've had a few exciting moments in my career but nothing that compares to how I felt when Louise told me the news. "
The example of Michael Owen's public excitement may bolster some isolated young men. But as long as to many other people and institutions are ambivalent about his role and fail to offer a helping hand, that figure of 8, 000 children in the UK4 losing their young dads by their teenage years is unlikely to fall.
練習題：
Ⅰ. True or False:
1. Young men in UK is less likely to get married before 25 than those in Italy.
2. Celebrity’s way of life can affect average person.
3. Though father of two children, Beckham never supports caring fatherhood.
4. 20% of the children born to a teenage father will not live with their father when these children are in their teenage.
5. 80% males who get married in teens will leave their mates in 15 years.
Ⅱ. Questions:
1. Does Owen think it appropriate to be a young father? Why?
2. What will happen if we are reluctant to help young father?
