How to Cope With a Teenage Pregnancy for Parents

A teenager having a baby is stressful for the teen's parents.

Parents with a teenager experience a range of emotions from disappointment in their child's choice to guilt and anger. Coping with a teenage pregnancy as the parent of the teenager means coming to terms with the fact that your child is having a baby and offering your child the necessary support. You can seek support through friends, other parents in the same situation and professional counseling. You and your family can work toward open and healthy communication regarding the pregnancy, emotions, expectations, responsibilities and finances.

Instructions

1. Find a close friend or professional counselor who you can express your feelings to and who can guide you through your emotions. This assists you in preventing arguments and outbursts between you and your pregnant teen.

2. Talk to your teen about her options, decisions, feelings, fears and disappointments to show her support and to keep the lines of communication open. Let your teen know that she can still come to you for advice, as most teens are scared, embarrassed and unsure of how to handle the situation.

3. Take your teen to a health-care provider. Ask the doctor to explain the stages of pregnancy, what your teen can expect physically and emotionally, side effects, discomfort and the birthing process. Urge your teen to ask questions.

4. Meet with school guidance counselors and staff to gain information regarding school work, attendance and graduation. Visit community centers, daycares and babysitters to find out about any services or rate discounts offered to teen mothers.

5. Discuss lifestyle changes with your teen such as taking prenatal vitamins, the importance of nutrition, eliminating alcohol, drugs and tobacco products and resting. Discuss potential effects of not following healthy habits on the baby so your teen is aware that her behavior and choices affect her child's health.

6. Exercise with your pregnant teen to create bonding moments when she might want to divulge emotions to you and to keep her healthy, occupied and less stressed.

7. Accompany your teen to prenatal classes and to the birth.

8. Write a list of responsibilities that your teen must complete on her own and responsibilities that you are comfortable assisting her with regarding finances and the care of the baby.

9. Explain your expectations of your teen such as finishing high school, going to college or working part-time, and ask your teen what her goals are to create a clear idea of what to anticipate for both parties.

10. Create a schedule for each day of the week that outlines your teenager's baby feeding times, study time and household chores. This helps your teenager plan and stay organized.

11. Discuss and create a plan with your pregnant child regarding babysitting and your teenage child's return to school. Support you child's academics and parenting. Continue talking with your child about her emotions and stress level because her life has changed and she might be experiencing a loss of friends, the end of her relationship with the baby's father and difficulty handling her new responsibilities.

12. Monitor your child's activity by allowing a limited amount of evenings to hang out with friends and a set curfew.

References

• Kids Health: When Your Teen is Having a Baby
• 4 Parents: Teen Pregnancy
• Empowered Teens and Parents: Teen Pregnancy...How Should Parents Deal?
• Pregnancy Period: Dealing With Teen Pregnancy: An Informative Guide