Friday 26 February 2010

Teenage mum stereotypes

There have been a lot of stereotypes banded around in the media this week. None of them I recognise, ALL of them offensive. Whatever you say to people they have this image in their head of what a 'teen mum' is and they will not change it. So, I thought I'd have a go at creating my own young mum stereotypes*.

WARNING: these stereotypes may offend Daily Mail readers

The old-before-her-time young mum.
You know the girl who has looked like a mum since she was 11? She organises everyone and everything, sorts everyone else out and always puts her hand up first to volunteer-that's if she's not the one asking for volunteers. She gets pregnant young but no-one gives her a second look because she already looks middle age and carries more confidence that any teacher at school. She is in her element having children, the more children she has the more organised she gets. She has a million other projects going on too, all of them she is in charge of. She's also the one teaching the older mums to breastfeed. This girl does not sit down and never looks tired. No one is sure if a dad is around or not but if he is you can be sure he is doing exactly as he's told.

The student young mum
You sometimes see this pretty student mum around college with her shiny mahogany hair and retro school bag. She looks like a normal student but there's something else there that's driving her to get those top grades. She appears lost sometimes and part of you wants to scoop her up and look after her, then you see her with her child and realise she's exactly where she want to be, and she's gonna be fine, more than fine in fact. Next time you see her she'll have probably just graduated from Oxford or somewhere.

The hippy young mum
Hippy mum does her own thing. She knits, sews, bakes, she may even home school her kids. Hippy mum hates convention and doing things just because other people think its right. Her kids are messy but loved, hectic but always entertained. People may look down on her but shes hasn't even noticed-She's too busy making jam or tie dying kid's t-shirts.

The in-love young mum
The in love mum is one half on the sickening couple that used to walk round school holding hands. They would frequently be seen snogging on the bench at lunch times. They share an email address like katieandpaul@hotmail.com. They call each other's parents mum and dad. In fact, you don't know whose family is whose it's all so intertwined. Of course they have a baby when they're young. They have been together since they were both 6. 10 years together and they are practically an old married couple. Having kids is the natural progression to complete to picture. You gotta admit its sweet, if slightly sickly, and Paul will work his butt off to provide for his little traditional family.

The hard-as-nails young mum
Hard as nails mum is a strong independent women. She may have had a tough upbringing and as a teenager was a total nightmare. Its likely she was into drink and drugs and all that stuff. That is, until the day she finds out she's up the duff. From that on this girl becomes 'hard as nails mum'-all that rebelious energy she has goes into doing everything she possibly can for her child and she doesn't care about anything else. If you dare to look down at her or her child she will tell you exactly what she thinks of you. Nothing will come in the way of this mum providing for her family. She will rely on no one to ensure that no one lets them down. Underneath it though she has a heart of gold.

*none of these are based on real people and I apologise if you notice any similarities with yourself!

5 comments:

  1. Lol thats funny because I see myself in every single one of them other than the loved up one! Very good! I like it :D

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  2. Haha, I wasn't a teenage mum, just, but can still relate. How insightful! ;0) x

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  3. Ha ha! I was definitely Student Young Mum :-)

    SSM xx

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  4. Ha ha I'm hard as nails! x

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  5. Very interesting! I'm 20 and I've got two little boys... And I'm the student young mum ;)

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