The cons of being a mother in high school, almost far too many name, are perhaps some things that young women might not consider when they think about having a baby in their teens. Not having any experience with motherhood myself, I can tell you that my entire life, I’ve admired single women who raise children, hold down jobs, and work to provide a life for themselves and their children. Yet, I never desired to be one of them, being well aware of the many cons of being a mother in high school, or as a young woman out of high school for that matter. My mother was an extremely wonderful mom, so giving and selfless. In my opinion, every mother should be like that, and yet, young girls who are still in high school can’t only not provide for their children, but they also can’t even yet provide for themselves. If you’re a young teenager and considering having a baby, or even just out of high school and considering having a baby, please think about these cons of being a young mother first.
1. Your Dreams Have to Change
One of the many cons of being a mother in high school, is every dream you had for yourself, whether it be college, a career life, etc. must change immediately the day you become pregnant. Being so young, you’ll have to take a low paying job that’s likely to have poor hours, due to not having a degree yet, and your dreams of attending school will probably be almost impossible. It’s not to say single mothers can’t achieve their dreams, - indeed there are some very inspiring success stories - but I didn’t even know how to make my dreams happen at age 16 and 17,,much less bring a child into the world in the midst of them.
2. Financial Responsibility
Not only do children require a good bit of money to feed, there are care costs too. Even if you qualify for government assistance, care is limited and then there’s also the responsibility of having to take care of them. There are incredible financial responsibilities most women don’t consider when having a child, including these things and more. Without a career, someone else to support you, and a stable home environment to raise them, it’s almost impossible to do it all on your own.
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3. Dependence
Of course, because children do cost money, you’ll have to be very dependent on others for housing, helping you keep the baby if you do work, helping you afford to feed them, and to help you raise them if you can’t do it on your own.
4. Social Life Sacrifices
To be a good mother, you’ll have to give up a good bit of your social life. Your schedule is no longer just your own. It will be based around your child’s needs and what they want. This means your social life will have to take a backseat, and late nights out won’t be a part of your schedule anymore. Sure, you can still have friends, but to be responsible for your child, you’ll need to give up most of your social life to take care of him/her, which is a 24 hour deal, and not much less.
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5. Around the Clock Care
Are you prepared to get up several times in the night? What about having to basically carry your child around with you at all times, and feed them perhaps at inconvenient times? One of the main cons of having a child in high school is you’ll have to provide around the clock care and grow up pretty fast in the process.
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6. Medical Care
Another con of becoming a mother in high school, is there will be a constant need for medical care for your child, and not just during pregnancy, but their whole childhood and life. While you can get financial assistance, care can still become a burden and come with a lot of responsibility, that many young women aren’t prepared for.
7. Marriage is Unlikely
No matter how much you might be in love with your boyfriend at the time you become pregnant, you need to realize that marriage is highly unlikely. Teenage girls often become pregnant to secure a relationship and and even marriage with their boyfriend, yet they never quite seem to understand that marriage pretty much never becomes part of the equation. Give yourself the gift of waiting until you find a husband to have a child. Let yourself be young first!
The ultimate con of being a mother in high school, is that your youth is gone. You’re an adult the moment you conceive a child, and you’re giving up one of the most priceless times in your life. Don’t deny yourself the chance to be a teen while you can. Trust me, the years fly by fast enough and you’ll be so glad you waited to make such a big life decision as having a child at such an early age. What do you believe are some other cons about being a mother in high school?
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