Juggling Education and Parenthood

If you get pregnant during high school or college, chances are you’ll feel overwhelmed and tempted to drop out. Many young moms do. Some vow to return to education as soon as their child is ready for childcare, but only some do.

The statistics are rather stark. Only 51% of young moms complete high school. The picture looks even worse for moms below the age of 18. Only 38% of teen moms complete second level education. For them, juggling high school and motherhood has proven a step too far. Sadly, lacking a high school diploma excludes you from high-wage employment, and these moms are pretty much condemned to a life of poverty unless they can rely on the support of a well-to-do partner.

The figures are similar when it comes to third level education. Only 39% of women who have a baby while at college finish their degree and only 2% of teen moms get a college degree before the age of 30.

Funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Rather than In-School Child Care

Teen pregnancy cost the state considerable amounts of cash. Consequently, it is hardly surprising to see governments invest heavily in teen pregnancy prevention programs. When it comes to providing support systems for teenage moms and students with babies, you won’t find much support or investment. Only some high schools have childcare facilities and college third level child care facilities are also rather thin on the ground.

Challenges Facing Young Moms

Just what makes juggling education and motherhood so difficult? Should and could these moms not be supported sufficiently well to allow them to complete their education? To begin with, having a baby while still attending school or college is difficult and you won’t be able to pursue the conventional life of a student. Your child sets you apart, and you won’t be able to partake in the bustling student social scene. If you are still at high school, being a mom is even harder, particularly because you are still developing and growing as a person. Secondly, babies tend to take over their mother’s entire existence, and lastly, the sheer workload of full-time study and full-time motherhood is simply too much to bear for many. Not many young moms have the ability to simultaneously progress through their education and be a good parent, simply because there is just so much work involved in fulfilling both roles.

Seek Support and Finish Your Education

The above-mentioned survey also revealed that teen moms who do complete their education are highly motivated. They work hard for their babies and usually display a greater desire to succeed.
For those who do continue their educational path, there are basically two options. You can select a high school or college with a child care facility or rely on the support of family and friends. As an added measure, you can also keep a lookout for companies like Sosgarde (https://sosgarde.ca) in your vicinity, in case you happen to need babysitter services at any time. Creating a reliable and 24/7 support structure is a must. Unless you have several people you can rely upon, you’ll struggle to juggle studying and parenthood.

Those moms who do complete their education and continue on to pursue a career fair far better than those who drop out. If you have to work from home with a distance learning course, or a part-time degree, you’ll need to be able to support that learning style by setting up a little office for yourself, as well as check out some frontier internet plans, or ones like it, so you can do your work efficiently from home as you navigate being a mother. There are ways this can be done, it’s just about finding the right one for you.

Finishing your education is an absolute priority. If you are lucky, your own mom will step in and mind your child when you attend a high school or college with a child care facility. You are also going to need support outside college or school hours so that you can do all your coursework and succeed at reaching your learning goals. But once you cross that finishing point, you would feel the fruits of success and you get to celebrate it with your loved ones. You can also consider making an official announcement by sending out a card (for more info on this, browse around this website), so that your friends and family can attend your graduation ceremony.

Putting a support system in place is entirely feasible – anyone can do it. Your completed education will benefit you and your child in more ways than one. Not only will you be able to get a better job, but you will also be far happier and more fulfilled as a mom, as a woman.