I Love My Family

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cora-leeHi Everyone!! My name is Cora-Lee, I am 20 years old. My birthday is March 16, so I’m a Pisces!! I have a 7 month old daughter, and her name is Sophia. She is a huge blessing to me!

I’m married to my high school sweetheart we’ve been together since I was 15 years old, and got married march 18 and I was 18 years old! I  became pregnant with my daughter when I was 19 years old and it was such an exciting time! I was judged a lot for getting married and having a baby a year later, but it was the best decision I made because I love my family and wouldn’t trade them for the world! I’m currently in high school and attend an all girl school that allows me to bring my child, which is awesome.

I think it’s great I can share my experiences with young mothers that have similar or non-similar lives. As a young parent ambassador I’m here to lend out any support and help at any time!!!

Free Training for Young Parents in Boston

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Free training for Expectant & Parenting Students in Boston!

This workshop will be facilitated by TEEN PARENTS and will help you learn about your rights in school. Come learn while you compete in a fun and interactive game – complete with prizes!

Date:

May 29th, 2013

Time:

3:30 – 4:45 PM

Place:

105 Chauncy Street, Boston, MA 02111

Basement Level

RSVP

KBright@massteenpregnancy.org

with your first name, last name, age, and the city/school you’re currently attending

Click here to view the Youth Training Flyer

My Life Has More Meaning

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TarialisMy name is Tarialis Garcia and I am a 21 year old Dominican mother. I gave birth to my now one-year-old daughter, Lily. I am currently attending the University of Massachusetts Boston as a transfer sophomore student. I work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital as a Young Parent Ambassador.

Juggling life as a mother is hard but surprisingly I have it all under control. Trying to be independent, a mother, a full time student, having a job, and being in a relationship is a lot of work. My road to success will not be easy but I am determined to go through it all to accomplish my dreams and goals in order to make myself happy.

I thought it would be impossible to continue pursuing my dreams after being a young parent. The negative media, the stereotypes, and the lack of knowledge towards the subject of a young parent made me feel that way. I was assured by many that my life would be over after my daughter. Funny part of it all is that without my daughter I would have not made it this far.

My daughter gave me strength that I did not know I had. I broke out of the shell that I hid behind before Lily was born. My life would have been completely different without her, but not in the way media has made it out to believe. Lily has influenced me into being a stronger woman. My life is not ruined because I got pregnant at a young age instead it has more of a meaning. I have broken out of all the social norms that we young parents face and throughout my blogs I will be able to prove it.

Tarialis is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

I am Amazing and I am a Mother

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jasminMmhh where do I start? I mean… besides the fact that I’m totally amazing! Lol :)  But for real, I feel like I’m an amazing person for all I have accomplished in my life and all that I have put up with. I’m a high school graduate, class of 2012, I am employed, I’m a young parent advocate, and most importantly I am a mother to an amazing two year old lil boy named Xavier.

Notice how I put being a mother last. This is not because I am not proud, it is because motherhood is not the only thing that defines me. I am so proud of being Xavier’s mother and wouldn’t change it for the world, but I am more then just a mother and I strive everyday for that not to be my only title.

Becoming a mother has led me to many great and wonderful things, Xavier has really been my motivation.  As some people seeing having a child young as a life killer, I see my son as a life saver! Without my son I would not have been this amazing person that I am today, I would probably be still smoking weed everyday and not wanting to do anything for my life. So like I said before, I am amazing and that’s because I am a mother to a amazing lil boy named Xavier!

Jasmin is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

I Didn’t Make a Mistake

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Grace - ChristianMy name is Grace. I’m a 20 year old mother to the world’s most beautiful, energetic, grey-eyed baby boy named Christian. He will be 10 months on May 3rd! Yay Christian! He is the reason why I smile every day because he reminds me how beautiful life can be! I have learned to see the beauty in every one and everything. He inspires me to be the best I can be in every way.

Because of him I hold my head high and do everything I say I want to accomplish.  Having him at 19 made me grow up very fast but because of him I have a dream, which is to become a nurse. I love being a mom even in the most difficult times.

I hope to one day be an inspiration to other young mothers like me. I want to prove to the world that I didn’t make a mistake and I especially want to prove to the world that I didn’t ruin my life! Yes, it’s a daily struggle but I honestly think that my son changed my life in a positive way. One day every one  will understand my decision to have a child but right now I’m still working on getting my life together while enjoying every moment of it!

Grace is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Being a Young Parent

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DymonWelcome to my blog! :) While being 21 isn’t hard enough, I’m a full-time wife and mom. I was pregnant at 19. The world of motherhood was something I wasn’t ready for but thanks to a supportive family and a supportive pregnancy group, I have made it this far. I love the performing arts and will soon finish my study of cosmetology and be certified. My blog posts will mostly focus on the struggles and joys of being a young parent. Enjoy :)

Dymon is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Hopes, Dreams, and Goals

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Shaquanda

Hey, my name is Shaquanda and I am a proud parent. I live here in Boston and do a lil bit of everything. I am an artist, dancer, and a planner. I am 21 and my parents are from the south. I have two children, a boy and girl ages 3 and 2.

I had my first child at 17. Being a parent has it’s ups and downs but I made it this far and plan to continue. Being parent does not mean your hopes, dreams, or goals are gone. Those things make you a better you it made me a better me a happy me.

Shaquanda  is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

I Cannot Stand Being the “Example”

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Laticia

Young, beautiful, and well spoken. That’s what a normal person would say when asked about themselves. So along with those include stubborn, independent, and a great liar. LOL! I’ve accomplished, but not yet completed, all of my goals. I’m very talented and dream about being all I can be both artistically and academically.

I can shop for hours at a time and not even realize it. I have a confession: I like math. That’s right! I’m a geek! I can be a brat at times. I hate asking for help and I cannot stand being the “example”. Think about it. If I’m the “example”, then I can’t F*** things up sometimes. What fun in that??!! So if you wanted to know a little more about before you began to value my opinion on other topics in future blogs, there it is!

BANG!

Laticia is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

Being a Teen Mom Did Not End My Life

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CiaraHellooo! My name is Ciara, I am 17 years old, and I am a Leo. I am not shy at all and I love attending events that include some type of young parent support. It is a great feeling to be around people who go through or have similar situations as your own.

I got pregnant at the age of 16. I was a junior in high school. After taking 3 pregnancy tests (first one was at McDonalds, lol). I was still in denial about being pregnant but I knew from the start that I was keepin my baby. A lot of people (family and friends) doubted I would stay in school. I would miss a day and the rumors would go around that I dropped out. I knew that having a baby would require me to make sacrifices but I never said it would end my life because I knew it was not true! I had a healthy pregnancy overall and a pretty cool birth experience. I loved the hospital!!! My son’s name is Jayden Alexander and he was born on June 29th. He is my trikitiki de mami! :)

I am a busy person for the most part. I am currently a senior and ready for graduation coming up on June 9th!! Although I work and go to school, I still manage to have my breaks and fun/alone time. Wanting a break does not mean your a bad parent ! It may be hard sometimes but always know you are not going through it alone, believe me. As a Young Parent Ambassador I am here to support you and available to any type of venting you may need.

Ciara is a participant of the Young Parent Ambassador Program at the Center for Community Health and Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. 

Tweeting About My Issues by @MissStaceyJ3

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My name is Stacey Jackson, I’m 20 and I became a mommy at 18. Finding out I was pregnant at age 18 was hard for me at first, just because I was  in my last year of high school, and set to go off to college. For a while I didn’t know whether I wanted to have the baby or not, but there was always that feeling there of me knowing I could never get rid of my baby.

I ended up hiding my pregnancy for 5 1/2 months only four people knew, my boyfriend , my sister, my friend, and I . I would go to my doctors appointments when it was lunch time at school, and secretly have ultrasounds. I wasn’t afraid for people to know. I think I was more scared of the thought of my life being over.

When I told my mom her reaction was happy for me. I knew she’d be ok with me being pregnant, I was 18, going to college I worked, and I supported myself already. My mom and one of my sisters were happy, but the rest of my family had a problem with it. As the months I really didn’t care what other people thought of me being pregnant.

I ended up graduating when I was six months pregnant  in June of 2011. I chose to go to UMass Boston (deferring to the spring semester). Then on September 22, 2011, I had my beautiful baby boy Ethan. After I saw his face I knew I made the right decision. The biggest challenges for me so far hasn’t been financial, it hasn’t been dealing with the baby, or even relationship issues with Ethan’s dad, it’s even been my weight problem.

During my pregnancy I gained a normal amount of pregnancy weight, but when I had him after getting on birth control my weight soared and I began packing on pounds. Because of my weight, I have insecurities . I don’t feel like myself, and I’m very unhappy. No matter what I try to do to make myself feel good when I look in the mirror my self-esteem all comes crashing down. I try to go to the gym, I try to eat healthy, but none of it ever seems like it works.

@ProudToParent is something I came in contact with through one of my twitter friends. The #ProudtoParent chats have helped me see that I’m not the only one who had a baby at a young age and all my struggles are normal. Eventually I want these twitter chats to help young girls like me, and I hope one day girls or even guys can read them and know the exact feeling that I’m feeling. I didn’t have any one to talk to about my issues and most of the time I still don’t, so if I can help someone just by talking about my issues an struggles, I know I’ll be ok.

Hiring Young Parents in Boston!

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2012 Young Parent Ambassadors

We are hiring some (very) part-time young parent ambassadors to help us with our programming! As a young parent ambassador, you will work directly with staff in the Health Equity Programs department of Brigham and Women’s Hospital to design, implement and guide activities related to health planning and young parent programs. Ambassador activities include; contributions on social media (Facebook, Twitter etc), participation in leadership and outreach training, serve on young parent advisory committee and planning and outreach for the Annual Summit for Teen Empowerment and Parenting Success (STEPS) conference.

In order to apply you must be:

  1. 25 year old or younger
  2. MUST be a current or former pregnant or parenting young adult
  3. Be able to commit to working 20 hours per month

The application to become a young parent ambassador has four parts.

  1. Part 1: complete an online application through Brigham and Women’s Hospital http://careers.brighamandwomens.org/Results.aspx?category=&location=&shift=&jobopenid=2238256&keyword
  2. Part 2: Complete a young parent ambassador application (attached to this email)
  3. Part 3: Submit a letter of support (this can be from anybody—friend, teacher, parent, etc.—who can speak to why you should be a young parent ambassador)
  4. Part 4: Submit a personal statement—you will need to answer one of the below questions (your response should be 1-2 pages long).
    1. Describe the world you come from—(for example your family, community or school)–and tell us how your world has shaped your hopes and dreams.
    2.  How do you define leadership? Why do you think you are a leader for other young parents?

Once you have completed all parts of the application (and applied online on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Website) then submit all application materials to Ariel Childs:

  1. You can email them to Ariel at alchilds@partner.org
  2. You can fax them to Ariel at Attn: Ariel Childs 617-582-0191
  3. You can mail them to Ariel at

The Center for Community Health & Health Equity
Attn: Ariel Childs
801 Mass Ave, Suite 610
Boston MA 02118

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. We look forward to receiving your application! Also don’t forget that we are still accepting submissions for our young parent anthology so please send us your writing, drawing, photography or anything else that shows why you are Proud to Parent. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the annual 2013 STEPS young parent conference on June 27th 2013!

Apply by clicking here! 

Anthology Submission Ideas

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Having a tough time coming up with a submission for our young parent anthology? Here are some prompts:

- Before becoming a teen parent, how did you envision your future? After having a child, has that vision changed? Why?

- We know that lack of support can make life harder. Share a story about a time you had a really bad or really good support experience.

- Are you the child of a teen mom and now a teen parent? How do you think your parent’s young age affected your pregnancy?

- What are some of the stereotypes you hear about young mom, young dads, or single parents? How does it make you feel?

- If you could design a program to support teen parents, what would it look like?

- Write a letter to your child, parents, child’s other parent, teachers, etc…

- Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Where do you see your children during those periods?

- What’s the most positive thing anyone has ever told you about being a young parent and how did it help you?

- You have a busy schedule. What is a typical day like for you?

- Have you experienced abuse or violence? How did this affect you? How did you or how are you finding support and peace?

- Write a letter to yourself.

- Vent about your anger, sadness, or frustrations.

- Write a letter to another young mom or dad.

Remember, art, collages, photography and all forms of writing will be accepted in our anthology. Email nvianna@partners.org with questions and submissions.

Recap: #ProudToParent Twitter Chat

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Last night’s twitter chat was amazing! Thank you to all the young parents who joined us and the fabulous organizations who popped in: @LaUReNsSDaD1118 @PEACE_LOVEx3 @RougeLioness @TheYoungMommy @queenteenmama @Taitersz @GloriaMalone @nikagurl5889 @miaaye_ @stevi11 @AriellaFaith @happysuperfoods @forestdaledads @NatashaVianna @LisetteYOrellan @c_pichardo @entee0112.

Our young parent chats are hosted by @ProudToParent on twitter every Tuesday night at 8:00 PM ET and usually ends by 9:00 PM ET. During each chat, young parents (near and far) will have a chance to meet each other, share their stories, and connect virtually. We know young parenthood is an isolating experience so we hope these chats provide young parents with a place to find support and offer others their experience on common issues.

Here are some tweets from last night:

@ProudToParent #ProudToParent is an awesome idea. Next week we’d love to see more young dad’s groups involved!

@ProudToParent Many people think young parents shouldnt have me time. #proudtoparent

@ProudToParent  I don’t have any friends with children except for one but she’s a little older than me. I haven’t found any online either

@ProudToParent I feel like I have people to lean on when I need them! I hope I have tha affect on other parents 2#ProudToParent

@ProudToParent love chatting with other young parents! I live on a block w/ ALL retirees – no young parents! #ProudToParent

 

We also took a moment to highlight some awesome young dads on twitter:

We’d love to find more young dads! Nominate them on twitter using the #ProudToParent hashtag.

If you missed the chat and would like to read the entire conversation, click here!

Join us on Tuesday, January 15th at 8:00 PM ET

for our next #ProudToParent chat!