The Struggles Unwed Teen Mothers Face
The scariest day in a young girls life is the day she find out she will become a mother. There are a hundred thoughts running through her head when she has just taken a pregnancy test that comes out positive. The first things that have to be done is telling the boyfriend and the parents. Emotions can often run high and tempers may flair when parents find out that their teen is going to have a child. Anger is often the response when parents are faced with something like this because they are terrified for their child’s future.
For parents learning that their teen is pregnant is a very scary thing. Parents often think of teens as their babies they do not usually see them as young adults. It is hard for a parent to worry over how their baby will afford all the daily diapers that babies need or how to buy formula or baby bath. Especially when the week before this they were out buying acne wash for their teen and now they are taking them to the Obstetrician’s office.
This is overwhelming for parents. Then it is the time to let the boyfriend know. Teenage boys will give their girlfriend one of two different reactions. The boyfriend will either not want to deal with the responsibility or he will want to take care of the baby and mother. Teen boys tend to act like children when they are faced with responsibility like this. They know their lives are going to completely change.
Some teen boys do not want to deal with what they see as a problem and they decide to just stay away from mother and child. When this happens it is important for the girl to know that she does not need him because you can do it with out him. Make him support his baby whether he wants to or not. When your baby is born you can take him to court to have child support ordered. It is his responsibility to support his baby and the courts will order him to do it.
Teen mothers are often scared by the fathers because they threatened to get custody of the baby. Sometimes when the boys parents have money the girls feel even more threaten of losing their child. This is not an issue as long as you are properly taking care of your child, judges do not take babies away from their mothers just because the father has more money than the mother.
Raising a baby is tough work but it can also be rewarding. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and you have every right to feel that way. Be sure to ask your friends and family for help when you need it. Once the initial shock has worn off, your family will be happy to welcome their grand baby into their life. There are of course exceptions but usually the parents of pregnant teens are supportive.
If your mother and father are still not being supportive then turn to friends or other members of your family for help. After you have spent a whole night awake with a baby that wont stop screaming you can call a cousin, aunt, grandparent, or friend to help you out. You will not believe how supportive some people can be.
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