Teen Pregnancy Information Center: Parenting

Sites For Fathers:
Center for Successful Fathering, Inc.
Dads'nKids
Dads and Daughters
National Fatherhood Initiative
Father's World
Father To Father

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Parenting

There's nothing like experience as a teacher. Unfortunately, when you become a parent at a young age, experience is something you do not have.

Remember being a young child? I used to believe that maturity and age went hand in hand. And to a degree they do. But to be more specific, experience and learning from that experience is what cultivates maturity - not age. So don't let others look down on you because you are young. Where you are lacking, learn from other people's experience. If you don't come from a great background, seek out people who do. Watch parents with their children. Read parenting books. Don't be afraid to listen to your own parents. After all, they raised you. Take the good things they did and keep them and then throw out the bad.

Understand that you will make mistakes. Because of age, there are people who will judge those mistakes more harshly. Don't buy into this. Everyone makes mistakes. There are no perfect parents! The bottom line is that you are uniquely qualified to parent your children regardless of your situation. Everyone can learn!

I try to think of what someone could have told me to make some of these lessons easier but really, there are some things you have to get on your own, so to speak. One of those things is gaining the confidence you need to be the best parent you can be. I believe in you. I believe any teen parent can be a great parent. It takes guts, willingness, hard work and for me, a lot of prayer, but it can be done. People do it every day.

If you're not sure where to start, a good idea might be to take some parenting classes. You may want to try your doctor, your church or place of worship, your phonebook, or some local organization who can point you in the right direction. Often these classes are offered through the local community and they can give you a fresh perspective and some guidance as you develop your own parenting style.

I am working on some articles to help with some of the main problems I've ran into through the years. My intent is that this section will help shed some light on common problems and experiences mostly unique to teen parents. So if you want to add something from your own experience, or if you'd like to see an issue addressed, let me know.