The hardest part of being a young mother was the misconception and stigmatization from society. I wish I knew how hard it would be to juggle everything. It's tough to find a reliable babysitter so that I can work." - Holly, 24ĩ. "I was 15 with my first pregnancy and 16 with my second. Listening to him tell me how much he misses people who chose to exit his life is overwhelmingly heartbreaking." - Stephanie, 23Ĩ. "I was 20 when I got pregnant. I wish I had known that I would lose so many relationships due to my child. Too many people who didn't plan on sticking around met my son, and some of them he happens to remember. My goals, aspirations, even my social life - everything slipped away from my norm. I wasn't prepared for all the things that were going to change. All that mattered was giving that little girl everything she could ever need and more." - Ariana, 21ħ. "I was 19 when I had my son. My needs and wants were no longer relevant. I wish I knew how much I would have to give up for the well-being of my daughter. It wasn't until I had to decide between something for her or something for me that I realized that she was the most important person in my life. Nobody wanted the mom with a baby at their slumber party." - Jennifer, 23Ħ. "I found out I was pregnant for the first time right after I turned 18. It's the amount of stress, the lack of support, and the stereotypes that comes with being a teen mom and trying to prove people wrong. The hardest part is worrying about how I'm going to support my kid financially. I have a lot right now, but I do need a lot more stuff for the baby." - Skyla, 18ĥ. "I got pregnant at 16 and had my baby at 17. I wish I had known how insanely hard it would be. Forget the screaming baby and the poop running up their back while you're trying to rinse spit-up out of your freshly curled hair. One thing I wish I had known was how big of an emotional toll being in separate households from my boyfriend was going to be. It felt like I was a single mother and I developed terrible baby blues, which caused me to leave the father of my baby." - Kyndal, 19Ĥ. "I'm 18 and gave birth this year. And without daycare, or someone to watch him, I don't have a way to go to school. I don't work so I can stay home with him, and I think that puts a lot of stress financially on my son's father to be the sole provider of our home." - Casey, 19Ģ. "I was 18 and fresh out of high school. It's not so much a financial thing as a babysitting issue. I don't want my son in daycare when he is so small. I wish I would have known that going to college was going to be almost impossible. For girls who get pregnant in high school and the years right after, it's not always easy to tell what the next few months and years will look like, which is why we asked a dozen girls to get real about their experiences as teen moms. They talked about changing college plans, career paths, finances, relationships, friendships, and more. They also explained what they wished they had known before they got pregnant, and the struggles and challenges they've faced.ġ. "I got pregnant just a few weeks before graduation, when I was 18. Becoming a mom when you're still young yourself is an incredibly tough choice.
0 kommentar(er)
