by Charese Brooker
When I first became pregnant at the age of 16 I got judged just like every other young mom or mom-to-be I know. Even some of my family members gave me the roll-of-the-eyes look and shook their head. And everyone proceeded to tell me things like, “You’re NOT ready,” “You’re Not old enough,” “You’re Not capable of raising a child,” “You’re Not blah blah blah.”
It hurt. But I moved on. When I had my second child at 18 years old, the same words came out from different mouths. When I had my third child at 21, those same rolling eyes made their way to mine. Again it happened when I had my fourth at 24.
And unfortunately, each time I lowered my head in shame and embarrassment and said nothing. Until today. . .
Today I will tell everyone what I truly am NOT. . .
I am Not a bad mother. I am a great mother. My children are well loved. They have everything their little heart’s desire and could need.
I am Not uneducated. In fact, I graduated from high school on time, on the honor roll while pregnant and mothering a 6-month-old. I also continued to college and graduated from nursing school with a 3.2 GPA. In college I held honors for both a Presidential List and a Dean’s List and was even listed in the paper for these honors.
I am Not receiving help from my family. Except for the occasional date nights with my husband, my parents and his stay at their home and we stay in ours. We depend on each other and no one else.
I am Not poor. I make more money than my parents and most 30 and 40 something year olds do.
I am Not going to listen to negativity anymore. I may be young but it does not give anyone the right to lay judgments upon me. For those people who still choose to do so I will not give the pleasure of laying my head low anymore. I am proud to be a mother-at any age.
Charese is a proud wife, mother of four and a nurse.
You go girl. People around you always have something to say when they see a young mother. Just because you have kids earlier than most, that does not make you a bad mother. People should learn to just mind their own business.
I’m going through this right now- and to read it from someone else was a huge support. Thank you.
I feel you so much a lot of people have put me down and said so much but I let them do what they do. It will get me mad but I would/will keep laughing because everything they say is pathetic and you can prove them wrong. Same thing has happened to me except that I am 16 years old with two kids and about to graduate this year coming up and on time . So maybe ending up pregnant at an early age worked for me because the babies were my motavation to keep going.
You are an amazing person! Keep doing what you’re doing!
let the church say #Amen!