1. Teenage parents
"Imagine: you can't get a drink but you can say that you have to get home for the babysitter."

2. Views of a Teenage Parent
My first pregnancy was at 14 but my first successful pregnancy was when i was 15 and i gave birth at 16. My little boy is now 18 months and he means the world to me and his dad. Judging teenage parents without knowing anything about them is wrong. Older women are just as likely to become bad mums and neglect their children as us young mums are. Everyone is different.

3. Perceptions of Teenage Parents
What do you think are the common misconceptions of teenage parents?

4. Media; teenage parents
Portrayal of teenage parents
Mother at 12
Benefits and teenage parents
Promiscuous scroungers or loving parents

5. Reasons for Teenage Pregnancy
Unsettled background and bad experiences at school
Opportunity to change their life, gain independence and a new identity
Neighbourhood characteristics – deprivation and local acceptance of young parenthood
Opportunity to create a loving family (compensate for own bad experiences)

6. Reasons for Teenage Pregnancy
Motherhood is preferable to having a ‘low paid’ and ‘dead end’ job
Life would have been worse if they had not become a parent (drugs, worsening alcohol, growing sense of worthlessness)
Young fathers – lack of a ‘father figure’ and ‘wanting to be there for their child’
(Cater and Coleman 2006)

7. Activity…
Can you recognise any of these characteristics / reasons in these teenage parents
Teenage parents

8. Factors for Successful Support
Integrated approach;
Consultation with teenagers;
Acknowledging young people’s skills and aspirations as parent
Flexibility and consistency;
The availability of suitable childcare;
Sympathetic staff and open-minded.

9. Activity Watch the following video
What strategies do you think you could use to engage and communicate with these teenagers
What do you think are the barriers?

10. Barriers to Participation
Anticipate or have been faced with judgemental and negative attitudes from health and social care agencies
Induced defensiveness - cannot take the risk of experiencing further scrutiny or judgement of their ability to be good parents.

11. Policy ?????? Parenting Alone Parenting Alone (full report)
Positive for Youth
What do think about these ideas?

12. References
Cater, S. and Coleman, L. (2006) ‘Planned’ teenage pregnancy: Views and experiences of young people from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation