The five advantages of being a teenage mother are!
Teenage mother. When I hear this word
I immediately get a picture: A girl with a can of cheap energy drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. A tight shirt over a pregnant belly. She didn't finish school and the future father of the child can't or won't find a job. Not really a gem of opportunity, then.
I wonder how I came to have all these prejudices and realize that this is an image many people have. I was a teenage mother myself. Almost 15 years ago, I took on the most beautiful and at the same time the most difficult role of my life. That of being a mother and a teenager at the same time. I was 17 when I got pregnant and I faced all the prejudices. Some perhaps justified, others not at all. Rude people on the street: 'It must have been an accident!' To doctors who would explain 'difficult' words in a childish way. That's why I really wanted to write this. An ode to teenage mothers, a positive note, a boost of encouragement. This way, you'll never look at a teenage mother in the same way again!
The five benefits of teenage motherhood
Number 1: it takes a village to raise a child
As a teenage mother, you experience more social oversight and have a wider safety net. Teenage mothers often live at home or are still in very close contact with their parents or guardians. Where an older mother often has parents who are not used to having a child in the house anymore and have given a whole new meaning to their lives. We've all heard it before: "No dear, sorry, mom and dad can't babysit on Monday, we're already going to golf/bingo/volunteering!". The parents of a teenager often still provide guidance and support to the teenager on a daily basis. Taking care of a baby is not easy, no matter how old you are. We all need help and support.
Number 2: The younger the skin, the more elastic!
It's wonderful to see that big belly and all the curves during pregnancy, but after a year or so, you might want to fit into that bikini on the beach again. The likelihood of the body bouncing back to its original tight form is greater for a young mother than for an older one. Of course, other factors also play a role, such as how much weight you gain, genetics, and lifestyle. However, as a teenage mother, you have an advantage in regaining your pre-pregnancy body!
Number 3: Working nine to five
A teenage mother has not yet been able to build a career and grows with her child in her career instead of having to squeeze a child into her working life. If a teenage mother is lucky enough to have a warm home, she has the luxury of being able to study from home for the first few years with free live-in babysitters!
Number 4: The most important thing is on the inside!
Ticking biological clocks with a time limit. Reduced fertility or infertility due to age, illness, or simply not finding a suitable partner. You never know what life will bring, but if you're a teenage mother, you can check off one box early in life. I have a child! That pressure is gone. You're a mother, check it off and relax!
Number 5: As you sow, so shall you reap!
Taking care of a baby with love is a long-term investment, I always say, especially during the tougher times I think about this. Those moments when lack of sleep, crying, whining, and fussing almost start to get to you. Now that my eldest daughter is almost 15 years old and I'm a young thirty-something, we're starting to have more and more in common. We enjoy getting dolled up together and dining at that trendy place, we watch the same TV shows and tag each other in funny Instagram photos. I'm thoroughly enjoying my time with my grown-up daughter while I'm still young myself! I feel like I'm very close to her world of experience. Generally, her friends think I'm cool because I'm that young mom. So lots of sleepovers and fun girls coming over!
There are so many more beautiful aspects to teenage motherhood
Motherhood in general has many faces, each with its own set of challenges. I would definitely not advise my daughters to become mothers at a very young age. It's tough, you're very dependent on your surroundings, and as a teenager, you can't yet fully comprehend the consequences of your actions. Yet, I am happy, grateful, and proud of my beautiful daughter every day.
I'm not writing this because I think it's necessarily a wise decision to start having children at such a young age
I am writing this because I know from experience how lonely being a teenage mother can be. How much judgment and misunderstanding you face. The taboo surrounding joy during your pregnancy. As a teenage mother, you often don't know anyone else in the same situation. Friendships with peers quickly fade, and older mothers don't always take you seriously. You have to stand your ground. Being a teenage mother is characterized not only by the difficulties but by the love we as mothers feel for our child.
Dear teenage mother, keep it up, surround yourself with kind people and persevere, you are not alone!
Love
ROBIN
