Why Being a Young Mom is Great.

As a young mom, I have received tons of negativity from family and from people I don’t know. I use to be hurt by people who didn’t approve of me being a young mom but it didn’t take me long to realize the advantages that come with being a young mom.

 

1. I learn life lessons earlier.

My son has taught me so much about life and about myself. He has helped me be more responsible and more aware of everything. I learned what is important in life. I don’t waste my time on the drama that other twenty-year old’s do. I know who my biggest supporters are now rather than later.

2. I get to spend more time with my son.

Having my son earlier allows me to cherish him for longer and allows me to watch him grow up longer.

3. I can relate easier to my son.

When my son goes through things when he is older, I will be able to relate more because I remember how I felt at his age. As you get older you forget some of the ways you felt when you were younger and each generation is different.

4. My son will have active grandparents.

Once my son has kids, I will have the energy to keep up with them. I won’t get exhausted as easily and will hopefully still have good physical health so I can run around with them.

5. I have plenty of energy.

Having my son at 19 has been great in many ways but I am grateful I can keep up with him. He has so much energy that I am sure if I was older, I would get exhausted a lot quicker.

Mommy Burnout

As a mom, I put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders. Every day I spend time teaching, reading, playing, cooking, cleaning, bathing and potty training my son and by the end of the day I am exhausted. It is a routine I have gotten in. I want to give my son everything I have and more but some days I am so exhausted that I can’t enjoy the time I spend on my son. I have tried many different things to help me get out of a mommy burnout. The best one being Yoga. I love Yoga. It calms my mind, relaxes my body, gives me a little workout, and it gives me more energy. My goal that I strive for is yoga morning and night. Sometimes that is impossible though. some days I don’t want to get out of bed early to do my yoga and other times I just want to go to bed at night. That’s why I stopped using nap time for cleaning time. I decided my mental health was more important than spending that hour and a half on cleaning. Whether I do yoga, journal, or just sit down and watch some t.v. I take that time for myself. I am very big on self-care. If I didn’t start learning about all of this a year ago, I probably would have gone crazy already. Here is a list of to help with mommy burnout:

1. Practice self-care!!
2. Ignore the negativity from other people about your parenting, house, ect..
3. Remind yourself of the positive aspects of having a child.
4. Spend time with kid lovers.
5. Celebrate achievements no matter how small.
6. Remember that it’s okay not to be the “perfect”parent. Children just want to know they are loved. Being loved is more important than having the “perfect” parent.

Mother at 19

Becoming a mom at my age was the greatest thing that has happened but also the most difficult. I wanted badly to be the best mom I could be but also have a successful life. Being only nineteen and just being out of high school wasn’t the most ideal time for this. A lot of my family was disappointed in me. Some said “What am I supposed to do congratulate you?” and very few made it seem like a good thing. I was terrified. Having family members that I always looked up to, that didn’t see having a child as a good thing took a lot out of me. The first person to be truly happy for Seth and I, was my friend Danielle. She changed everything. She made me feel like I had nothing to worry about. Seeing her jumping up with joy made everything from my negative family members go away. I focused on that one moment through my whole pregnancy. I cherished that one moment and still do.
Today pregnancy at a young age is frowned upon. Which in my view is funny because in the “old” days it was what you were supposed to do. Get married at a young age and have babies. Being in that position today and getting all the judgements from people made me realize how cruel this world is. It showed me that family isn’t always about being blood related to someone. When you have a major change in your life that is frowned upon at a young age, you are awakened to who is there to support you through the difficult times. Some of the people I trusted most were the ones to tear me down. That was the most heartbreaking part of it. When I needed them the most they weren’t there. I was upset for most of my pregnancy.I had moments where I was really excited but some family members made me feel like I had disgraced the family by starting my own family at 19. I avoided them as much as I could. It was hard to become aware of the people who didn’t support me. I saw nasty sides of some of them that I never thought existed. It was hard to cope with, but I got through it with the support of the few who made me feel good about this major change in my life.
My father and his family was very supportive. They weren’t thrilled my life was being put on hold but they supported me. I am grateful for that. My father had me at a young age. He was upset but also excited to be a grandfather. He stood up for me to some of my negative family members. Although it didn’t seem to change anyone’s view of me I am still grateful he was supportive through it all. No one should feel the way I felt through my pregnancy. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a gift to have a baby no matter what the age. Do I wish I would’ve waited a little bit longer? Yes, but I don’t regret having my son at 19. It has made me stronger, more responsible, and more aware of the people who truly love me. All together it has made me a better person and gave me the best gift. The gift of being a mom.