Rebecca Meyer
This 35-year-old woman has three children. She first got pregnant at 17 with her now 18-year-old daughter. She later had another daughter, 15, and a son, 9. While she struggled to survive for many years, she earned her Master’s degree at 30 and believes she worked hard to create a wonderful life for her children.
As she parented her children, she was always up-front and truthful about her past struggles. She spoke often about how she wanted them to be safe when they decided to start sleeping with romantic partners, and she wanted them to think of their futures and have dreams to aspire to achieve.
She recently learned that her 15-year-old daughter, who recently turned 15, is a few weeks pregnant. Her family is taking a hiking trip in Colorado in about two weeks, and as a consequence, she doesn’t want to allow her pregnant daughter to go on vacation.
“I don’t think she should do anything fun. I want to deny her the vacation and baby shower. I will not kick her out. I will be supportive and do everything I can to provide for her needs,” she said.
Even though she knows she’ll assist her daughter with the baby if she chooses to keep it, she doesn’t think having a baby while still in high school is something to be proud of. Her daughter hasn’t yet made her final decision on whether she will keep the baby.
However, after she spoke more with her daughter and the baby’s father, who her daughter is dating, it sounds like they will likely keep it. She was shocked her daughter was pregnant because she works from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and her daughter takes the bus and arrives home by 4 p.m.; her daughter is only alone at the house for about an hour.
“I am not trying to be a hypocrite. Having a child as young as I was was also nothing to celebrate. I am honestly unsure how to handle the whole thing,” she explained.
During conversations with her daughter, she expressed her love and support, but deep down, she feels overwhelmingly enraged and let down. But she has tried her best not to outwardly express her rage so that her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend feel comfortable opening up to her.
Before her daughter’s pregnancy, she always emphasized to both daughters the importance of being safe. Her daughters both knew that she didn’t want either of them to get pregnant before they were 18, and her 18-year-old daughter had not gotten pregnant.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
