I think most people know I had my Damien when I was 17 years old? Well, because of this, supporting young moms is something I try to do whenever I get the chance- especially if they’re single- which they usually are in their teens. I was a teen mom, I was a single mom, and I know how long and hard that road is.
Now, before any of you get your soapboxes out from under the bed- I KNOW teen moms are not suffering from an illness or disorder, and that teen pregnancies can be prevented- I’m not going to debate that here.
The truth is that teenage girls are having babies despite people trying to educate them about sex and the dangers of STDs.
I found out recently- through a contact who also was a single mom- that a wonderful woman named Laura (how’s that for a coincidence, eh) is starting a support group at a high school for the many teen moms and the girls who are currently pregnant in the school! This is the first time I’ve heard of something like this being done, since most people are still determined to hide this issue, and I think its fargin fantastic!!
I know a LOT of single moms, in fact I think I could name 10 off the top of my head- some of whom are technically and gloriously no longer single 🙂 – but thats besides the point. As someone once said to me, its a club you never lose your membership to, its a title you never lose.
As single moms, we support each other. We’re there at the drop of a hat if one of us calls for help. We fetch and carry when we can, bring wine when its needed, make phone calls, send text messages checking up on each other, and call in the troops when it’s necessary.
What I want to do with this here post is call on the single mothers I know in the blogosphere for advice and support on issues that single moms face.
Laura would like to have topics to discuss with these teen moms, to try and help them through parenting. Perhaps you have suggestions on issues single moms face, and how these young moms can get around them or deal with them?
I’ll give you an example. Something I could never get used to as a teen mom- and a young mom- was that people never took me seriously as a mother. They always asked where Damien’s father was, and often assumed I was his big sister and asked where his parents were! And something else I battled with as a single mom was allowing a romantic interest “in”…
What suggestions do you have that Laura can turn into a “lesson” of sorts for these young moms?