“A best friend or a boyfriend who are invested in them making it. Teen moms need that. That’s one spot that a family member can’t fill”
—–Elizabeth Chase

I myself is a mom of a two-year-old boy. Before went back to grad school, I was so hesitated to make this decision because I was afraid of taking care of a baby and doing school work at the same time, and I was also afraid of feeling isolated among my peers–not that they will treat you differently because you are a mom, but being a mom means that you have to balance your own life and your life as a mom. To be honest, there is basically no balance. You will have to have someone to help you out, but you will still worry about your baby every day and there are a million things to worry about in a mothership. I was lucky that my husband and my friends from grad school are very supportive and understanding, but I can definitely understand how hard it can be for a young mom. People at their young age might have a hard time understanding a mom’s life, and in the culture where sexuality sometimes equals to shame also make young people get away from teen moms, even it is unconscious.

And no, at this point, I don’t believe the community can afford all the resources to young mothers because that’s going to be a huge amount of all the resources. What we can do is to acknowledge them how hard it can be, helping them to protect themselves from being a young mom that can not afford their life in every aspect (including mentally).

Reference:
Chase, E. (2017). Beyond the diploma: Dimensions of success for teenage mothers in high school. Educational Review, 69(4),