Transitions

On Thursday, we discussed transitions into parenthood. When I first became a parent, I had an idea of how my life would change, but was suprised at how drastically it would change. I was very young when I had my son, and had to endure going to school during the day and working a job at night. I had absolutely no time for a social life. With my free time, I would spend time with my son, and after he fell asleep, I would do my homework. I thought that having a baby was supposed to be fun, but it was very chaotic and demanding; much more than I would have ever thought. Not only did I give up my friends, but I also gave up my sleep. At times, I was so sleep deprived that I thought I would soon go crazy. After my son had finally began to sleep nights, I was able to catch up on well needed rest. Along with no sleep, I didn't necessarily have in-laws to deal with, but I had my parents. They would offer their advice and critique every move I made. I always took it as criticism, but now I know that they did it out of love.
Another transition that I had to make into parenthood was proving to everyone that I could be successful. Oftentimes, my family doubted my abilities in school (and I always thought that my teachers did as well). I had to prove to everyone that I could finish school, and that I could do so with honors and scholarships. Having my son certainly gave me that extra drive that I needed.
I know how hard it is to have a child while in high school. There are so many pressures surrounding you. You have to make it to class even though you only slept for 3 hours, you have to take on the added responsibility of school and providing for your child emotionally, physically, and financially. You also have to think about and plan for the future (if you still have the self esteem left in you from being suddenly labeled as an "outcast"). You have to gain the trust and support from your parents who may still have vent up anger and disappointment. Since I have lived through this and I have succeeded, I feel that in my professional life, it is necessary for me to work with teenagers who are pregnant and those that are parents. There are so many odds against these girls, but with support, trust, and skills, they can overcome these odds. I feel I would be able to relate to these girls and build a positive relationship which can give them the drive to go on and become not only great parents, but also carry out their life goals. While I am not an advocate for teenage pregnancy, I still feel that it doesn't necessarily have to be a negative thing. And that is something that I can bring to the table in my future career.