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The Teenage Single Mother
from: Karlie BestlerMost teenage mothers think and act like teenagers. Just like any other teenager, they can be self-centered and may find it difficult to plan for the future. Teen single mothers may conclude that in order to relate to adults, they must act more grown up than they are. This may sound good at first, but there is a down side to acting too mature too quickly.
When a teenage mother is not given the opportunity to address issues that deal with her age, she will push being a teenager to the side. However, she may revert back to teenage behaviors or situations later in life, often to the detriment of her child.
Our society views motherhood as something special. We believe mothers should provide security and stability for their children. A mother must sacrifice many of her own wants and desires for the benefit of her child. Most teens have not reached this level of maturity. Teenage mothers may want to be good mothers but lack parenting skills.
Often, teenage mothers face a special challenge of finishing high school. Dramatic dropout rates have encouraged schools to open daycare programs as well as providing parenting classes, but these are not available in all areas of the country.
Everyone in society benefits if teen moms are able to graduate. Check with the principal or superintendent's office for resources in specific areas. Finishing high school should be a priority as it is a critical for future independence for the teen mom. There is little hope for financial independence if she drops out of high school.
Learning the skills a new baby demands of a mother will no doubt be a crash course in reality for the teen mother. If available teen mothers need to take advantage of "new mommy" classes often offered by social agencies such as the United Way. Also, more high schools and community agencies are conducting parenting skills courses that teach things from basic nutrition to home finance.
Parenting skills are also offered through vocational agencies and community colleges in many areas. WIC (Women, Infants and Children) also helps mothers with nutritional and parenting skills.
Teen-Single-Mothers Online News
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