One night of passion can turn into 18+ years of parenthood.
So you had a baby at an early age, does this mean that you are too young to care for your baby? Does this mean you're exempt from taking care of your responsibilities as a parent? The answer is NO! Having a baby is a real big deal. It impacts your life, as well as the lives of your family.
A lot of times when a teenage girl gets pregnant, her parents will say, “When that baby comes – I hope you don’t expect me to take care of it, it’s your baby, your responsibility!” Then, when the baby is born, the parents will take on the role of caretaker, which sometimes leads to a fulltime parenting role.
When the parents do not set boundaries initially, they contribute to their teen daughters’ bad parenting habits of expecting them to care for the baby all the time. At this point the teen mother carries on with her life as if she never had a baby. Now the burden has been put on her parents. That’s when the teen begins to develop the, "My Mom will handle the baby for me”, attitude. This is not the way to go. What this says, is that she hasn’t learned from her mistakes and needs intervention ASAP!
Bonding with your child is very important, especially in the first months of your babies’ life. The more the grandparent takes on the parental role, the more the baby will begin to bond with them and not the mother. Teenage mothers who don't take care of the babies - i.e., change diapers, bath, clothe, feed or spend time with their babies do not develop a real sense of motherhood and is more likely to become pregnant again soon after.
Soon the baby will not want to be with the mother, but will in turn yearn for the attention and affection of the grandparent(s), "parent".
When you take care of your baby soon after delivery and bond with your baby, you then realize how tough it is to be a parent and develop the sense of responsibility of being a new mother. Your parents can be there to guide you and answer any questions you might have, but your baby should not be their responsibility. Yes, there will be trying times, but you buckle down and stick it out.
Should the parents show tough love and tell their daughter - This is your baby and your responsibility?
Do you think a teen mother will learn from her mistakes, if she doesn’t take care of her baby herself?
I would like to hear your stories. Parents of teen mothers as well as teen mothers.
Post your comments - Let's talk about it!
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