Teen Moms

Teen MOMS

Sam S.

Teen moms have to deal with and take care of a baby, while also being a teenager- going to school, hanging out with friends, having a boyfriend, etc. I know many teen moms through the organization my mom works with, YoungLives. YoungLives is a Christian nonprofit organization that works with and helps teen moms. The teen moms have to worry about things that other teenagers don’t, such as buying diapers and finding a daycare.

What are the effects of being a teen mom?

When teenagers have babies, they may put school on hold or may even drop out. Only 40% of teen moms finish high school, compared to 75% of all teens that graduate. Some who had dreams to go to college will not pursue that dream when they have their baby. Less than 2% of teen moms finish a college education by age 30. For teenagers that stay in school after they have a baby, their home situation may not be the best and their babies may not be cared for very well.

Some teens give up hope for a good future once they have their baby and do not think they can get a good job. When they have their baby, they may get negative feedback from friends and family. They may be rejected by their family and could get kicked out of their house. If not already in a financial struggle, providing for the baby costs a lot of money and may bring financial difficulties. The relationship between the teen mom and dad may be affected by the baby and the father usually breaks up and/or is absent in the baby’s life. Teen fathers are rarely very involved in the child’s life and does not support the mother and the baby with finances or care. An example of this is that 8 out of 10 teen fathers do not marry the mother of the child. Teenage mothers are commonly discriminated by students and teachers at school and by employers when looking for a job. Having a baby takes up time from their life and erases some things, such as going to parties and doing certain activities with friends. Any teen mom will get emotionally affected, being confused and not knowing how to care for their babies. This can cause them to make decisions that they usually wouldn’t make and may take over their thoughts.

“I should have waited.”

-Brittany Dorsey

What is the lifestyle of a teen mom like?

Most teen moms live in poverty before they be-

What effects does teen parenting have on a child?

come a mother and can barely make it through buying the materials that their babies need. Even if they were not facing poverty, having a baby put them closer to the poverty line. They do not usually live in well kept houses, generally living in an apartment with friends or family. A lot of the home environments are smoky and not healthy for babies to be living in. School is harder for teen girls when they have a baby. Not only do they have to get themselves to school, they also have to take their baby to a daycare or nursery. They also have to wake up earlier because they need to dress and feed their babies. It takes longer to get to school because they have to deal with the needs of their child. It is also hard during school because sometimes they are mistreated for having a baby and are looked down on by other students and teachers. Babies take up most of their time and do not allow for much sleep. Girls who become teen moms have to learn new skills and grow up quicker than most other teenagers to care of their babies.

Lots of teen moms are the children of teenagers that got pregnant. Teenage pregnancy can affect the child because it can mean that they have issues with behavior.

Teen moms have not fully matured or become ready to be a parent, so they probably do not know how to discipline their child suitably. Children of teen parents may act out and not know how to properly act because of a lack of self-control. This is due to their parents not knowing much about effective parenting or development of children, causing misjudgement of the child’s abilities to learn and adapt. Teen parents have less life experiences and less coping skills, resulting in harsher disciplining for the child. Teen parents’ children are more likely to have fewer skills and be less prepared to learn by kindergarten. They are more likely to have difficulty developing emotional, language, and communicating skills. Their mothers are less likely to be emotionally supportive and responsive than older mothers. Teen dads are not around a lot in their child’s life, with some not being there at all. This could affect them emotionally and have an effect on the rest of their life. Boys who are without their dads usually choose negative ways to live because of the lack of a role model. They may choose to be in gangs or pick up negative traits. Girls become teen moms themselves because they do not have a father figure to guide them away from those decisions.

What are the responsibilities of a teen mom?

There are a lot more responsibilities

cheaper. Although, if she does not have a

when teens become mothers. They

full time job, a teen mother may not have

have problems with finances for sup-

access to health care. They could use free

porting their child and have to figure it

health care provided from the state. On

out on their own. They may take ad-

the occasion of still living at home with

vantage of family, friends, or welfare

family, she could join in on their health

services.

provide

insurance plan. These responsibilities are

backing for paying rent, daycare, and

for the best for the baby so that it can

food stamps, which are issued to those

have a safe and healthy childhood.

Welfare

services

with low income and available to turn in exchange for food. Education is another burden on teen mothers, because if they get a good education, they can get a job and support their baby. Getting a job and being able to support their baby will let them be more independent, which can be used to build their confidence. Most teen moms do not have a very safe home that would support a baby. Housing is important because some teen moms are kicked out of their house by their family or need a better place to support their children. Since a lot of teen moms do not have jobs, they need convenient and low priced homes, but most choose to live in apartments or with family members. Homelessness is also common among teen moms. Most seek a place to stay in a homeless shelter so that they are not sleeping on the streets with a baby. Health care adds the responsibility of making sure that she has insurance for the delivery and care during pregnancy. If there is a medical problem during birth, having insurance for the baby will make it

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What help is available for teen moms?

Teen moms need a great deal of help and support with their baby. The Temporary Aid for Needy Families (TANF) Bureau is a federal program that teen moms are qualified for and gain assistance from through the funds of this program. The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program helps families such as teen parents and their children with buying food and gaining knowledge about nutrition. There are state programs that help teen moms with providing food and provide things such as food stamps. Teen mothers also need help with daycare for their child while they are at school. At some schools, a daycare is provided. That helps the moms a lot because they do not have to take their babies somewhere else and do not need to worry about a family member taking care of their child. YoungLives is an organization that has started for teen moms and is now spreading across the country. It helps mentor the girls, helps them be in discipleship with each other, and helps them create a strong relationship with God even through the hard times. This relationship could strengthen their ideas and give them the courage to keep going.