In high school, your sex ed teacher might have warned you about the dangers of teenage pregnancy and unprotected intercourse, but only to urge you to practice abstinence. Of course, that wouldn’t work because it was hinged on planting fear instead of providing guidance to a bunch of hormonal teenagers.
But that’s not your fault; if anything, it’s part of the systematic problem that most high school curricula don’t include comprehensive sex education, which leaves teenagers to learn about what they need the hard way. So, don’t blame yourself for getting pregnant because you didn’t know any better.
Fast forward to the present, when you’re a mother of a kid that you didn’t plan on having as an adolescent. This unplanned surprise could have caught you at the wrong time when you were still trying to find your place in the world and weren’t ready to deal with becoming a parent, but you did it anyway.
It was brave of you to put another person’s needs before your own, and it takes a kind heart to accept responsibility as big as being a mother. However, you can’t treat that experience as something that you’ll come to regret in the future, especially because it could have forced you to put your dreams on hold.
Choosing motherhood while other kids your age were attending college and enjoying parties could have made you feel like you missed out on a lot of experiences, but it’s not too late for you. There’s still time for you to pick up where you left off, although there might be some adjustments that you need to accommodate in the process.
Finish Your Education and Get a Degree
One of the things that you could have given up on by becoming a young mom is the opportunity to go to college and get the entire undergraduate experience. Many people say that the time they spent in college made them who they are now, but since you skipped out on the experience, you may feel lacking in that field.
However, it’s never too late to get a degree if that’s what you want. You won’t need to go through the traditional college experience if you don’t want to because there are plenty of other ways to earn your degree. For instance, there are online universities that you can attend remotely so that you can have a better handle of your time.
Choosing to receive higher education can also be a great way to kick start your professional career, albeit being a bit delayed than others. But everyone’s got their own timeline, so don’t worry about that part. If you want to get a degree under the business management program to be an entrepreneur one day, you shouldn’t let minor setbacks keep you from chasing your dreams.
Look for Stable Employment
After you earn a degree from a reputable educational institution, you could have a better chance of landing a good-paying job to help you earn a living. This is important because you have another person to take care of besides yourself, and securing a stable job can help you provide for your small family.
Seeking full-time employment to save money for your future doesn’t mean you will never have the chance to open your own business. However, it gives you the kind of financial stability you need to protect your kid from unforeseeable circumstances. Keep in mind that you can’t manage a business if you’re busy making ends meet and putting food on the table.
When you’ve saved enough money for your capital, or at least have enough to repay a small business loan, you can move on to the next step of your plan: starting your own business. Having your savings as a financial buffer can help you deal with the possible risks that come with being an entrepreneur.
Start Your Own Business
Many parents choose to start their own businesses because doing so gives them more time to spend with their kids. If you’re your own boss, you can create a schedule that will allow you to earn a living while still having enough time to bond with your kid and watch them grow into the person they’re meant to become.
You won’t have to miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime moments with your child because you can make time for them, which is something that you can’t do if you’re stuck in a nine-to-five job. And paving your own path can be a more fulfilling way to spend your time, even if you have to overcome challenges along the way.
No matter what choices you make in your life, you must always consider how your kid will fit into the picture because you’re no longer on your own. But you also shouldn’t give away too much of your life that you end up blaming your kid for the chances you didn’t take. Motherhood can be a handful, but it’s nothing you can’t handle after experiencing childbirth.
