The journey to parenthood is an exciting and eventful one for any soon-to-be parent, but there are some significant differences between someone who is about to become a parent at the age of sixteen and the age of thirty. A sixteen-year-old parent-to-be is going to face a great deal more challenges and struggles. Someone who is about to become a parent at thirty is much more likely to be better prepared mentally, financially and emotionally.
A sixteen-year-old who is preparing to have a baby is going to have to overcome many obstacles. The first obstacle is that of school; most sixteen-year-olds are still in high school, usually in tenth or eleventh grade. Finishing school while pregnant isn’t as easy as it might sound. Pregnancy can be draining and physically exhausting, but for most young parents, trying to go back to school after the baby is born can be even more difficult. Only one out of four teenage girls who have a baby will finish high school and get a diploma.
Next is the issue of financial stability. Most teenagers, due to their lack of education, don’t earn an income capable of supporting a baby. A teenager with a baby might find themselves having to choose between school and working to earn money, which can, in the long run, lead to even lower income over the person’s lifetime due to a lack of education. This lack of education leads to a lack of income. The need for income makes it more difficult to get an education due to time conflicts from working. The education/working circle becomes one that continues the poverty pattern.
Teenagers are also not usually emotionally stable. Teenagers can be mature and level-headed. However, teenagers are still learning, growing and changing. Most teenage couples don’t stay together, even if they have a baby. Babies and children benefit from being raised in a home where both parents are present. Teenage mothers are, in most cases, facing parenthood alone, which can be incredibly stressful on an emotional level. Teenagers are not prepared to handle this type of stress. A thirty-year-old, however, is much more likely to have attained an education, and have a good financial situation. Most couples having children around age thirty have had a great deal of time to plan and prepare for all the demands and needs a new baby will have. A thirty-year-old parent-to-be is also much more likely to be self-sufficient, and be in a healthy, committed and stable relationship, which will make for a good home environment for the baby -to-be.